Strange Love
by SingingStar28
Summary: Lailah Lockwood had lived in Beacon Hills her whole life and until her parent's death had lived as a bit of a loner. That was until Derek gave her the bite.Once she was a werewolf,things seemed to be looking up for her.Until she found out her uncle had died and she was needed in Mystic Falls.Here she finds that not everything is as it seems.Love and Mystery await her.
1. Chapter 1

Chapter 1

 **A/N:Welcome to my first ever story on here.I've had this idea as well as a few others circling around in my head and I thought it was about time I published a story on this ,enjoy!**

Lailah had started her high school life in Beacon Hills as a bit of a loner,only having a few friends to serve as company at the moment. With her enlarged heart,it only served to further separate her from her peers especially when she was forced to participate in P.E. Her friend Erica was really the only other person to understand how it felt to be on the other side of the judgmental stares of her peers whenever she made a fool of herself while trying to act normal despite her disability. At the moment,Erica and her were currently in gym class,standing aside while others went before them on the rock climbing wall that had been set up by Coach Finstock. Her green eyes shifted to watch as the popular group of students in Beacon Hills High School crowded around to talk as Scott McCall and his girlfriend Allison Argent began to tackle the rock climbing wall with ease.

She's noticed lately how the once outcast best friends had suddenly become the most popular people in school as well as Lacrosse stars,well Scott had,Stiles simply remained the same. It was odd and unlike most people in this town,she had her suspicions about the supposed animal attacks that had plagued the town for a little while and the most recent murder. Something just seemed off about them and Issac Lahey's dad's murder only added to her overwhelming urge to find out the truth about them. She was jerked from her thoughts at the sound of Coach Finstock's voice calling out that Erica and Stiles were supposed to climb the wall next,to which both Erica and Lailah were in shock.

"Um,what?'Erica asked weakly,looking over at the coach with wide eyes.

"Erica,now."Coach called out to her as Stiles hurried over to the wall and frantically began to climb,though it was obvious he was going to win and not Erica. Lailah worriedly watched her friend begin to climb,her heart beating fast against her rib-cage. There may have been a mat to catch Erica if she fell,but it wouldn't save her from the embarrassment if she were to have a seizure. She needed to calm down and stop focusing on the ground,but Lailah was well aware of the fact that Erica was terrified of heights,worried that at any moment she could possibly have a seizure and fall.

"C'mon Erica."She prayed silently,hoping her friend could pull through it and just repel down to the mat if she couldn't do it. Her eyes widened and she rushed forward with the rest of the class when she noticed Erica was beginning to hyperventilate. Unfortunately,she was unable to be beside her friend and comfort her because the popular people had begun to crowd around her with Coach Finstock as well.

"Erica,Dizzy? Is it vertigo?"Coach asked,trying to figure out what was wrong with her and the hysterical Erica wasn't about to help with that. Despite being Epileptic,Lailah knew her friend hated asking for help and was sometimes to proud to stop something even if she was afraid like she was now.

"Vertigo's a dysfunction of the vestibular system of the inner ear. She's just freaking out."Lydia Martin replied,making Lailah want to slap her for being so insensitive toward her friend who was on a rock wall and who at any moment could have a seizure.

"Erica."Coach called up to her,this time using a more gentle tone to his voice as he talked to her.

"I'm fine."She answered,continuing to hold on to the wall and struggling to calm herself down. 'No,you're not and you know it. Stop being so prideful and jump down,I don't want you to do something stupid and get hurt.'Lailah thought to herself,her green eyes filled with worry as she watched her friend sobbing quietly to herself out of fear.

"Coach,maybe it's not safe. You know she's epileptic."Lailah heard Allison voice,which made her smile slightly.'At least someone cares about Erica.'

"Why doesn't anyone tell me this stuff? I have to get-Erica,y-you're fine. Just kick off from the wall. Th-there's a mat to catch you. Come on. See,you're fine. You're on the ground. You're alright. Let's go. Shake it off. You're fine."Coach said as he gradually coaxed Erica off the wall and onto the ground where she was promptly embarrassed further by the laughing of her classmates. Lailah rushed to her side to comfort her as they passed Scott.

"You did fine. I'm just glad you're okay. Don't ever do something stupid like that again."Lailah scolded her friend,bringing her to the locker room.

"Um,just go along without me. I'll be there in a second."Erica said to her friend and she headed back into the gym,leaving behind a rather confused Lailah. Still worried about her friend,she hurried into the locker room to change quickly. Hearing a commotion,she shrugged on the rest of her clothes and grabbed her stuff before sprinting into the gym. Seeing her best friend lying on the ground having a seizure,she dropped her things and rushed to help her,pushing aside onlookers and getting down beside her.

"Erica,it's okay. Shhh,calm down. Remember just breathe."She said soothingly,trying her best to comfort her friend despite the rather extreme circumstances. Once Erica was rushed to the hospital,Lailah finished up school before heading to the hospital to greet her friend.

"Um,do you know where Erica Reyes is? I wanted to see her before she got discharged."She asked the nurse,with a kind smile on her face.

"Yes,she's in room 104."The nurse kindly replied,gesturing in the direction that she should go before attending to other patients in the waiting room.

"Thank you."She replied,hurrying down the hall to find the room she was looking for and finally managed to stumble upon the right door. With a smile,she opened the door to find Erica sitting up in bed and looking a lot better than usual.

"You look different. Whatever medication they gave you is certainly working."Lailah said with a playful smile,stepping into the room and embracing her friend.

"Yeah,I won't be needing medication anymore. Hey,let's go shopping.I could do with some less dreary clothes."Erica said and Lailah frowned in confusion,watching her friend carefully.

"Um,sure."She answered,still struggling to comprehend her friends new found confidence. Once she was discharged from the hospital,Erica and Lailah headed to the mall to find Erica some 'decent' clothes as she had put it.

"Oh,how about this?"Erica asked,holding a blue corset top to herself and looking in the mirror.

"Well it's nice. But I'm not sure it's really you. Did something happen?You're acting a lot different."Lailah said,eyeing the newly confident Erica in disbelief as she went to try on the clothes. The Erica she knew wouldn't be caught dead in these clothes and most definitely would not be this confident in herself.

"Of course I'm acting different. I'm better and I won't ever have to be that pathetic girl anymore."Erica replied with a sly smile,looking over at Lailah with falsely innocent eyes."Now,let's get you some clothes,you could do with a makeover."Self-consciously,Lailah smoothed down her t-shirt and jeans as she gazed down at herself.'Was she really that much of a disaster?'She wondered to herself.

After a tiresome day spent with her strange best friend,Lailah was sent home with her shopping bags in hand. Letting herself in,she set the bags down as she stepped inside and shut the door behind her. As she walked further into the house,it was then she realized that because of Erica's strange behavior she had missed work. Hurrying over to her phone,she dialed her boss' number and prayed that she hadn't gotten fired because of her negligence."Hello?"The voice on the other end asked and Lailah breathed a sigh of relief.

"Hi,it's Lailah. I'm so sorry I wasn't at work and I would have called earlier to tell you but my friend had an accident and I was with her at the hospital. I'm so sorry."She told her pleadingly,worry heavy in her green eyes. She needed this job and she would do anything to keep it. It was the only thing she had to keep her here in Beacon Hills. Lailah had been emancipated at 16 after her parent's untimely death to keep herself out of having to move to Mystic Falls to be with her aunt and uncle and here in Beacon Hills where she grew up. This job was keeping her on her feet and away from moving until she was 18,she wasn't about to let that all go.

"Oh,I'm sorry to hear about your friend.I'm only going to give you a warning Lailah. You've been a great employee and I know you won't do it again. To make up for it,could you work the late shift tomorrow please?"Her boss Charlotte was a kind lady and though she could be strict with her employees every so often,she had a kind heart and truly cared about other's well being.

"Yes,that'll be fine. Thank you for understanding."She said gratefully,leaning against the table and looking out the window at the dark sky.

"Alright goodnight."

"Good night to you too."She answered before hanging up and heading upstairs,wanting nothing more than to go to sleep after the crazy day she had endured.

Finishing her nightly routine,she crawled beneath the covers and fell fast asleep. Waking up the next morning,she ate breakfast and got dressed in casual clothes that she could through an apron over when she got to work. Heading to her car,she locked the door behind her and grabbed her purse before driving off to day started off normal,except Erica seemed to be absent the entire day and it was beginning to worry Lailah. What had her friend done to cure herself of being Epileptic? Was she doing drugs? Or had she met a guy? All these thoughts were running through her head as she sat down at her usual table by herself at lunch.

Her mental rant was interrupted when Erica came through the doors in her new outfit,looking like a model with a new aura of confidence surrounding her as well to complete the ensemble.

"Erica?"She muttered in disbelief,amazed at how her friend looked after her miraculous recovery. Her eyes widened further when she took the apple and sent a flirtatious look towards the boys that were eyeing her. Everything about her was different and Lailah was unsure if they were for the good or for the bad. As she strutted out of the cafeteria,Lailah hurried after her to figure out what was going on.

"Erica!"She called after her to gain her attention before she was completely out of breath. This gained the attention of said person and the former epileptic headed over to her with self-confident steps.

"Hey,Lailah. You know the same person who helped me with my epilepsy could help you with your heart."Erica said as she stepped closer and looked down at Lailah's flushed face and raspy breathing.

"Erica,I'm not sure it'll work. Is it drug or something? Because if it is,it might not make me better only worse."She said as she tried to reason with her friend despite feeling like she was cornered.

"Oh,it's not a drug more like a gift. It'll definitely help you. So,what do you say? You in?"She asked,a mischievous smile on her lips.

"Um,I'll think about it. I'll give you my answer tonight. I'm working the late shift at the diner tonight,just stop by then."She answered,unsure if she wanted to go through with this miracle cure.

"Alright see you then. I've got to go."Erica answered eyeing something behind her before she strutted down the hallway and out into the entrance of school where she got inside a rather nice Camaro. Stiles and Scott rushed past her to get a look at Erica as she got in the car with the mystery man. Judging from the look on their faces,they knew the man and were not happy to see him with Erica.

Later that night she was working her shift at the diner and was currently relaxing,seeing as how the diner had set into the night time lull after the dinner rush. The diner door opened and she instinctively headed over to help the man as he sat down. Her pace slowed though as she recognized him as the man from earlier that had been in the car with Erica.

"So,what can I get you to drink?"She asked,still eyeing him cautiously as she took out her pen and pad.

"I'll have a water,won't be staying long."He answered,his voice rough and yet somehow still soothing.

"Okay."She answered as she turned to leave only to be stopped by his hand encircling her wrist. She turned to look at him in confusion,wary of his intentions towards her.

"I'm not going to hurt you. I just want to talk."He answered as though he had read her mind,though she was sure her emotions were presented clearly on her face.

"About what?"She questioned,sitting down across from him in the booth.

"About you. Your friend Erica mentioned you wanted to get rid of your heart issues and I'm here to help you do just that."

"How are you going to that?"

"I'm a werewolf and I can make you one too. All it takes is a bite and all your problems go away. You'll be stronger,faster and just overall improved. You won't ever have worry about your heart again and any imperfections you have now will just vanish,leaving behind a girl anyone would be dying to have."He said rather charmingly,to which he received a raised eyebrow and pursed lips.

"Say werewolves are real,what happens when I become one?'

"You won't turn into a full wolf and it won't be painful for you. You can shift whenever you want and your senses will be stronger. The full moon will effect you but you can learn to control your shift."

"So what's the catch?"

"What do you mean?"

"There's always a catch. What is it? If the shift isn't painful then there has to be something else."

"There are precautions to becoming a werewolf. You do have to deal with hunters."

"Hunters?"

"Yes. They're humans who think all supernatural beings should die. Even though they want to kill us,we are still stronger. They have weapons but I will teach you how to handle hunters and what things you need to avoid."

"It's a lot to think about."She said quietly after finding out this whole thing. A part of her thought it was a good idea while the other part of her said she should simply stay the way she was and live her life as a human and not as a supernatural being that is hunted down like an animal.

"I-I'll do it. I don't want to live like this anymore."She answered in a wavering tone,fearful of the unknown.

"Well maybe we should take this outside. I'm not sure the staff would take kindly to me biting you here."

"You have a point."She said with a soft smile,glad he was trying to make light of the situation. Carefully,they headed out the front of the diner and walked a little ways and till they were secluded from prying eyes. Releasing a deep breath,she held out her arm to him,anticipating the bite anxiously. Suddenly she felt teeth dig into her skin and she bit her lip to muffle the scream of pain that welled within her throat. Glancing down at her arm,she saw a bloody bite mark in place on her lower arm and pulled her sleeve down to cover it before she could properly clean it.

"Thank you."She said before hurrying off to the diner where she promptly told her coworker she was heading home for the night. Tomorrow would be a new day and she would be a new person.


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2**

 **A/N:Thank you for the views. I'm probably going to update every 2-3 days until summer's over. After that it will more than likely be longer. Also sorry if Issac is a little OOC and next chapter will take place in Mystic Falls. Anyways,enjoy the story and please read and review!**

The next morning when Lailah awoke,she took a moment to gaze around her room as her eyes adjusted to the surroundings. It was then she noticed that everything seemed to be enhanced and sharper,her eyes catching sight of the simplest parts of her room's decoration and the noises that emerged outside her window. She sat up and gradually let her senses adjust to their new found sharpness,amazed at how the world looked now. Everything seemed clearer and brighter,in a word breathtaking. Opening her curtains,she basked in the sun's warm rays and the admired the crystal clear view of her street with a wide smile. Glancing down at her arm,she removed the bandage and saw the bite mark from last night had disappeared only leaving behind traces of dried blood on the bandage and along her forearm. She had finally rid herself of her imperfections and couldn't be happier about it.

Despite it being a rather unorthodox method and the problems she would no doubt face after turning for the first time,she deemed it necessary to live a good life. After her parent's passing,life had been rather difficult for her to stay in Beacon Hills but it was hard for to imagine living anywhere else but here. Now that she was different,she wouldn't have to worry about medication for her heart nor anymore hospital bills and she could finally do things she'd always wanted to but was restricted because of her heart. As she blissfully relished in the feel of her new found senses,she breathed a sigh of relief at the invisible weight that had been lifted from her shoulders. At the sound of her phone ringing,she turned to gaze at it beside her on her nightstand and frowned at the unknown caller ID that had appeared.

"Hello?"She asked curiously,a part of her tone turning cautious as she remembered the mystery man's words from last night.

"Hey,it's Derek."The man on the other end replied gruffly,his voice sounding slightly familiar to Lailah and she wondered if this was the man from last night.

"Um,who? Are you the guy from last night?"She asked,trying to make sense of the situation and not make a complete fool of herself while doing so.

"Yeah. My name's Derek. Anyways,I need you to come meet with the rest of the pack. I'll text you the address."He said shortly and with a detached tone to his voice as though he wasn't used to caring about a person and his pack was no different.

"Um,okay. How did you-"Lailah's question was cut off by the odd silence on Derek's end of the a frown,she pulled the phone away from her ear and looked down at it.

"He hung up on me!"She said to herself in disbelief,irritated at the blatant rudeness he had shown her. Sighing heavily,she began to get dressed while she waited for Derek to send her the address. Rummaging through her closet,she finally decided on wearing a white tank top with a burgundy cover up and jeans. It was simple and if need be,she could easily maneuver in the clothing if they were to get into trouble with hunters. As she was brushing her teeth in the bathroom,her sensitive ears caught the sound of her phone vibrating on the bedspread and she rinsed before glancing at the text from Derek.

Finishing her morning routine and tying her dark brown,wavy hair into a ponytail,she grabbed her purse and headed outside to her car. Opening the text with the address Derek had sent her,she began to navigate her way there with a little trouble. Once she arrived at the address given to her,she glanced once more down at it to make sure she was in the correct place. Stepping out of her car,she cautiously looked around at the abandoned subway station still unconvinced that she was in the proper place despite her double checking.

"Why a subway station of all places? Why not a normal loft or house? I mean it feels like he's going to kill me."She muttered aloud to herself before she shut the car door and headed inside. As soon as she stepped inside,she could tell there were other werewolves present and not just Derek. 'Maybe that's the pack. Do werewolves have packs?'She thought to herself as she began her descent down the short stairs and deeper into the subway. Her green eyes took in the surroundings with her heightened senses and she noticed three other teenagers a little ways from her that were talking while Derek was inside the subway car.

"Um hi."She said,announcing her presence to the others as she walked closer to their group.

"Hey,so I guess you decided to join us. Life is so much better right?"Lailah heard Erica say as she approached her.

"Yeah. Not having to worry about my heart is great but the heightened senses are a little disorienting sometimes."She replied,still a bit unnerved by the attitude her friend had taken on ever since being turned. She was,for lack of a better term,bitchier. But Lailah understood why she acted as such,there was a feeling of superiority that ran through her body and made her feel powerful and attractive. Though she felt as such,she refrained from acting on such impulses of making others feel beneath her due to her new found strength. Lailah noticed the two boys beside her friend,one of which she knew was Boyd while the other was unfamiliar to her.

"Hi,I'm Lailah. I don't think we've ever met."She greeted the curly haired boy,a soft smile on her lips as she met his blue eyed gaze.

"Issac."He answered,sending her a charming smile and raking his eyes up and down her figure.

"You done now?"She asked rhetorically,crossing her arms over her chest and raising a single eyebrow toward him. Apparently Erica wasn't the only one who had gained a borderline arrogant confidence.

"I don't know. I think this view is pretty great."

"Well don't get used to it."

The sound of a throat clearing interrupted the two's conversation and all eyes turned to see Derek watching the two with raised eyebrows as he wiped his hands on a rag.

"Are you two done?"He asked,watching them in annoyance to which Lailah simply rolled her eyes at when Issac returned an arrogant smile.

"Alright. I wanted you all to come here so we can begin training."Derek said as he came to stand in front of the group with crossed arms and his usual frown.

"Training for what?"Lailah asked curiously,watching as Issac and Erica gave a groan and Boyd watched on in confusion as well.

"Well I'll let Erica and Issac do the training and you and Boyd just watch."Derek said,his face impassive as he turned toward Issac and Erica and began to instruct them on what to do. Lailah headed over to Boyd and took her seat beside him on the stairs as they watched Erica and Issac try and attack Derek. She soon grew bored of their constant attack style and settled on analyzing their movements and planning out a strategy of attack.

"You mind if I try?"She asked as both betas were thrown to the floor by Derek without any true effort.

"I guess. Show me what you got."He answered gruffly,stiffening his stance slightly before he regained his position from earlier and awaited her attack. She chose to come at him head-on instead of from behind,seeing as how was already anticipating her attack and wouldn't be able to use the element of surprise. After watching the two other betas attempt to fight with their Alpha,Lailah had learned that neither seemed to be focusing on instinct and instead fought with what they had learned and nothing else. As she ran towards him,she focused her eyes on his figure to judge where he was aiming his attack and waited for the sight of his muscles flexing to duck. She lasted a couple minutes longer than the others before she was thrown down too but a sense of pride welled within her at the minor win.

"Does anyone wanna try not being completely predictable?"Derek asked in exasperation.

"Hey! I thought I did pretty good for my first time fighting."Lailah defended herself,sitting up from her laying position.

"You're not going to survive hunters with that fighting skill."As he turned to leave,she rolled her eyes in annoyance and rolled her stiff muscles to relax them. She was surprised when Erica suddenly jumped up and wrapped her legs around Derek's waist,frenzily pressing her lips to his as the two began to make out in front of the pack. Rolling her eyes once more,she glanced over at the others and saw Issac looking over at her and suggestively eyeing her with a charming smile.

"Don't even think about it."She said warningly to him,her amber eyes flashing as he tried to move toward her. The two's interaction was interrupted by Erica being thrown once more on the floor beside them as Derek angrily wiped his mouth and glared down at her.

"That's the last time you do that."He said as he stared down at her and once more wiped his lips.

"Why? Because I'm a beta?"Erica bit back,almost hissing in anger at his rejection.'No,because you're so desperate.'She thought to herself,finally getting up and brushing off her jeans.

"No,because I have someone else in mind."

"Are we done? I got about a hundred bones that need a few hours to heal."Isaac said which gained an eyeroll from Lailah as she crossed her arms.

"Come here."Derek said as he helped Isaac up only to break his wrist as he did so. His sudden act of violence toward his own pack startled Lailah and she stepped back a few cautious steps to distance herself from the aggressive alpha. Her heart beat against her chest in fear as she wondered what else he was capable of doing to those he was supposed to care about.

"A hundred and one. You think I'm teaching you how to fight? Huh? Look at me! I'm teaching you how to survive!"Derek continued,finally letting go of Isaac's arm and letting the injured wolf cradle his injury to his chest.

"If they wanted us dead why aren't they coming for us now? What are they waiting for?"

"I don't know. But they're planning something. And you,especially,know that's not our only problem. Whatever that thing is that killed Issac's father,I think it killed someone else last night. Until I find out what it is,you all need to learn everything that I know. As fast as I can teach you."Once Derek had finished his speech,he walked back into the subway car and left the betas to do what they wanted.

"Alright,I'm leaving now. I've got work and I really need to relax my muscles."Lailah said as she stretched her arms above her head and headed toward the entrance."And no,Issac you can't come give me a massage."She glanced over her shoulder to see the beta looking almost like a puppy as he pouted. Work was uneventful as usual and she had gone home to rest. The next day had gone by as normal and she was reveling in the normalcy that had settled over her despite the supernatural world she had been introduced to the last few days. Heading home,she was stopped from her route to a relaxing bubble bath by the realization that she had left her notebook at school by accident.

With a groan,she turned the car around and began the drive back to the school. She was well aware of the school's closing at the moment but with her strength it wouldn't be a challenge to get in. Parking in the school's parking lot,she noticed a blue jeep there as well.'Who else is going to be here at this time?'She wondered,heading into the school cautiously. Her eyes narrowed in suspicion when she saw the doors were also unlocked,meaning someone else was here besides her and she assumed they weren't here for any missing school supplies.

Her sensitive hearing caught a mixture of yelling,splashing and growling originating from the pool of the school. Her instincts told her to help whoever was yelling and she obeyed,running towards the commotion and stopping at the pool doors. There she was met with the site of Derek and Stiles in the pool while a strange reptilian creature hovered around the edge and Erica lay passed out on the sidelines. She was still in a temporary shocked state when she caught sight of Derek sinking into the pool as Stiles let go of him in exhaustion and she hurriedly dove into the pool. Swimming deeper,she grabbed hold of Derek and dragged him to the surface so they could both breathe. As they broke the surface,she was met with the sight of Scott McCall fending off the strange creature before it ran off and left the werewolves to figure out what had happened.

Pushing Derek onto the side of the pool,she climbed out as well and sat beside him,annoyed that her clothes were now soaked.

"Would someone like to explain what that was?"She asked,standing up and going over to the two boys and her Alpha. Everyone had gathered outside by Stiles' jeep to discuss what had happened and allow Lailah to be caught up with what had happened.

"Is that even a language?"Stiles asked and received an eyeroll from Lailah.

"Of course it's a language you idiot. It's probably Latin."She her arms across her chest.

"How are we supposed to figure out what this thing is?"Scott asked and she found herself wondering the same thing.

"It's called a Kanima."Derek said in the silence and Lailah rolled her eyes in annoyance.

"You knew this whole time."Stiles said in disbelief and irritation.

"No. Only when it was confused by its own reflection."

"It doesn't know what it is."Scott said in sudden realization.

"Or who."Derek finished.

"Well this is fun and all but I'm going home to dry off."She said and headed back to her car. At home she took a nice hot,relaxing bath before heading off to bed. The next morning she was called to help Derek in her pack duties,apparently 'pack duties' meant they had to interrogate a failed turned werewolf and by interrogation,forcing the werewolf to take Kanima venom. That was now the test to determine who the Kanima was in Derek's opinion. The day continued with their hunt for the Kanima at school at Derek's command.

As they headed to Chemistry,Erica and Issac walked in front of her in their usual arrogant stride,going as far as for Issac to rake his claws along the lockers. Rolling her eyes,Lailah smacked him in the back of the head as they entered the classroom. As the class was ordered into partners,Lailah was paired with no other than Stiles.

"Hey."She said as she sat down beside him and began the experiment.

"If you touch her-"Stiles started before he was cutoff by Lailah's voice.

"Don't worry,I'm not going to kill her. Unlike the other two,I don't think she's the Kanima."Issac took the moment to lean over her shoulder and start up a conversation with Stiles. As they continued to switch stations,she was met with more threats and warnings until Lydia was given the venom and proved to be immune. At Derek's word,they began to track down Lydia's whereabouts but she was well aware that the group of her friends had taken her away from school at the first chance they got. Arriving at the house she was being held in,the betas stood outside along with Derek who told them to sneak around the went first into the house with Issac following close behind while Erica opted to sneak in upstairs.

As she crept up behind Stiles,she pinned him to the wall,not wanting to hurt him but not wanting to go against Derek either."Just tell us where she is."She said to Stiles,until she was shot with an arrow in the back by the hunter and released her hold on Stiles. Reaching around with a pain-filled groan,she removed the arrow and threw it to the ground before turning to the girl in anger. The two fought for a while,both getting wounds as the grappled with each other until Issac and Erica were thrown out and Lailah was left to heal from a rather nasty arrow wound that had wolfsbane in it. After finally healing,she walked outside to see the Kanima on the roof but her ears caught Lydia's heartbeat inside the house.

"It's Jackson"Scott said as they all watched the Kanima crawl away. When they returned to the subway station,Lailah received a call from the last person she would have expected at this time.

"Hey,Aunt Carol."She greeted,walking away from the group to talk to her aunt in private.

"Hi,Lailah. I'm sorry I haven't had a chance to tell you earlier but Richard is dead."

"What?"She asked quietly as she felt tears prick the corner of her eyes and she swallowed a lump in her throat.

"I'm sorry. He passed away in a fire a little while ago. We're having a masquerade ball in his honor and I would like for you to be here in Mystic for it. I know it's asking a lot-"

"No,of course I'll be there. Besides it'll be nice to see Tyler and Matt after so many years."She urgently replied,needing to be with what remained of her family.

"Oh that's great. It's on the 15th which is in a few days. Just come by whenever you can."

"I will. Bye,Aunt you."

"Love you too."Turning back to her pack,she walked over to Derek after putting her phone back in her pocket.

"I have to go. It's a family emergency and my Aunt needs me."She said with an apologetic smile.

"I don't care if it's an emergency,you're staying here. We need you to fight off the Kanima."

"No you don't. We know it's a Kanima and we know who it is. You have three other betas at your disposal,you definitely don't need me."

"Your pack is your family and you can't just leave them behind."

"Well I have a real family and I'm not about to throw aside what's left of it because you would rather have others do your dirty work. And don't even try to deny it,unlike these geniuses I actually pay attention to what's going on around me and your actions haven't gone unnoticed."She said angrily,feeling her eyes flash as her emotions heightened.

"Fine,if you want to leave,go!"He yelled furiously,his own red eyes appearing and his claws beginning to lengthen.

"I will."She said in a deadly calm tone as she left the train station and headed to her car. Next stop,Mystic Falls.


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3

 **A/N:Thank you for reading this story and for the favorite!I really appreciate it. For the next couple of chapters,I'm going to mainly concentrate on the vampire diaries since I want that to be the main focus. I hope you enjoy and please read and review! Also,should i show some parts through the eyes of Stefan and Damon? Should i include parts in the show that don't include Lailah but they speak of her?**

Arriving home,Lailah grabbed a suitcase out of her closet and hurriedly began to pack things into it. Grabbing a few outfits she deemed appropriate along with her necessities,she shoved them into the black suitcase and zipped it shut. Her phone was blaring beside her and she saw it was an incoming call from Erica. With a sigh of annoyance she pressed accept and placed the phone between her shoulder and ear while she continued to get things ready.

"What do you want Erica?"She asked,grabbing her computer and looking for both rental cars and plane tickets available for a flight today.

"What are you thinking!? Derek gave us this amazing gift and you're ready to just throw it away."Erica answered,clear astonishment in her tone at the prospect of leaving the pack.

"This is my family and they're the only family I have left. I'm not abandoning them just because some alpha with anger issues tells me to. Unlike you all,I won't be a guard dog for him to stand behind."She defended herself angrily,taking her gaze away from the computer as her anger flared.

"Don't be stupid,just come back and apologize. I don't want you to become an omega. Derek says they don't last that long on their own because of hunters. You're weaker without a pack."

"Erica,we both know the moment I stepped out that door I was an omega."She replied with a heavy sigh,rubbing her face tiredly.

"Just be careful okay."She heard Erica say after a tense silence before she hung up. Lailah sighed once more as she set her phone down beside her and turned her gaze to the screen in front of her. She continued her search for a flight to Virginia and found one later that night headed for Charlottesville which was a little ways to Mystic Falls. Booking said flight,she also got a rental car to use while in Virginia since she didn't want to borrow any cars from her family while visiting.

Once she was sure everything thing was haphazardly thrown into her luggage,she grabbed her jacket and keys before heading downstairs to put her things into the car. Shutting the car door,she stepped inside her home once more to make sure she hadn't missed anything while she was hurriedly packing for her flight and after a quick glance around the house she locked it behind her. Sliding into the driver's side,she drove off to the nearby city of Paradise to catch her flight to Charlottesville.

After the stressfulness of the airport security,Lailah was finally settled into her seat on the plane and headed off to visit her family. Deciding then that it would be best to get some sleep before she arrived at her destination,calculating she would be there at around 10. Closing her eyes,she focused on her breathing to tune out the sounds around her and finally let herself get some much needed sleep to ease the stress she'd felt lately due to her turning and her family problems. A while later,she awoke to jostling and bolted awake with her eyes flashing in panic before she calmed when she came to the realization that it was only the plane landing and was grateful for the rather empty flight.

Stepping off the plane,she grabbed her luggage and headed out to the rental car area of the airport to grab a car to take to Mystic Falls. She placed her things in the car and slid into the driver's side to start her long drive to the small town that her family resided in as well as the few childhood friends she had there. Luckily she had taken a nap on her flight before she decided to drive toward Mystic Falls,this helped create enough energy to maneuver the car but she knew it was probably best if she stayed at an Inn before visiting her family. She would instead make an appearance tomorrow at the Lockwood Mansion where she hoped to see both her aunt and her cousin Tyler.

Arriving into the town of Mystic Falls,Lailah smiled happily as she took in the familiar sights and parked in the parking lot of the town bed and breakfast. Stepping out of the car,she stretched her cramped limbs and took a moment to inhale the fresh air but found a certain faint smell hung in the air. It was unfamiliar to her but the longer she mulled over the scent,she suddenly came to the conclusion that it smelled of...death. It was a rather unnerving beginning to her return to Mystic but she simply pushed the thoughts aside,chalking the odd smell up to her newly heightened senses that were catching the scent of something dead in the woods. Shaking her head,she grabbed her suitcase and headed into the building to find a room to stay in.

Once inside,she was met with the smile of a nice woman named and returned the kind greeting as she stopped in front of the receptionist desk.

"Hi,I would like a room for tonight."She said politely to the older woman,keeping her soft smile on her lips.

"Of course 'll be 50 dollars a long will you be staying?"The lady asked,moving behind her to grab a room key while Lailah searched through her purse to produce the needed money for her overnight stay here.

"Here you go and it'll only be one night. I have family here but I want to surprise them tomorrow and don't feel like waking them up with my arrival."She explained,exchanging the money for the key and waving goodbye to the lady as she headed upstairs to her room. On her approach of the door,she once more smelled the strange deathly smell coming from a few rooms down and frowned in confusion while she glanced around. She rubbed her face tiredly and walked into the room,assuming the smell was just her tired mind playing tricks on her,besides it was obvious to her that she didn't full control over her new senses yet. Slowly,she fished a tank-top and pants to sleep in before she crawled under the covers and promptly fell asleep.

The next morning,her green eyes opened to take in the sunny room with a yawn as her dark brown hair obscured some of her vision. Sitting up,she pushed the mess of hair away from her face as she moved around the room,putting her things back into her suitcase and heading to the bathroom to get ready for the day. After her shower,she brushed through her curly tangled locks and blow-dried them to once more resemble her normal chocolate waves. Her outfit of choice today was a pair of black skinny jeans and a royal blue short-sleeved blouse which she paired with black boots and a leather jacket incase it grew cold. Grabbing her things,she headed downstairs to checkout and head to the Lockwood Mansion to surprise her family with her presence.

A few doors down she heard the sound of kissing and laughing to which she rolled her eyes,she assumed it was either newlyweds or a young couple by the sounds of it. She didn't want to unintentionally intrude on their privacy and continued on her way downstairs to return her key. Once she was finished with this,she headed off to her car and navigated the streets of Mystic Falls to make it to the familiar home away from home. When she arrived there,she found that it was crowded with cars and people who were carrying various things around the property. 'I guess they're setting up for the ball. Well at least I get to make myself useful.'She thought to herself as she parked beside the many other cars and began her walk into the bustling crowd of people.

Her senses were a bit overloaded with the chatter of people all around her and the various scents that arose from each person but she figured this would be the best way to learn control on her own and without Derek's help. Her eyes caught sight of Tyler a little ways in front of her and her face broke into a smile as she saw her slightly older cousin talking with the familiar face of Matt Donovan. Creeping up behind them,she suddenly placed her hands over Tyler's eyes and laughed at his surprised attack but thanks to her strength,she was unaffected and continued to hold her hands over his eyes.

"Guess who?"She asked,a smirk on her face as she looked over at Matt who was just as surprised to see her as Tyler.

"Lailah?"She heard Tyler ask in disbelief before he removed her hands and wrapped her in a hug.

"Hey!It's great to see you too but I kind of need to breathe."She said playfully as she laughed and pulled back from the hug.

"Sorry,it's just been so long since I saw you are you doing here?"He asked as he pulled her into another brief one-armed hug.

"Your mom told me about Uncle Richard and that I was invited to the Masquerade Ball. I immediately jumped on a plane and headed here to see everyone. Besides I could use a bit of a break from Beacon Hills."She responded with a shrug and a smile.

"Yeah. Well,I'm glad you're here. Maybe mom'll let up on me now that she's got you to boss around."He answered,his smile faltering slightly at the mention of his now deceased father.

"We both know Aunt Carol's always been like that. I think she's just trying to find a way to cope."She defended her aunt with an easy going smile. "Anyways,it's nice to see you again Matt."She turned her attention toward the blonde and removed herself from her cousin's side to hug him,careful to make sure he didn't drop the lantern in his hand.

"It's nice to see you again too,Lailah. Been a long time since you were in Mystic Falls last."He answered with a laugh,pulling back to ruffle her hair playfully.

"Hey,do either of you know if Elena,Bonnie or Caroline happen to be around here?"She asked curiously,looking forward to seeing the three girls she remembered from the summers spent here.

"I think I saw Elena inside and Bonnie's around here somewhere."Matt replied,gesturing with his free hand toward the house.

"Thanks. I'll see you guys later. We should meet up later at the grill,you in?"She said as she stepped backwards from them.

"Yeah sure. How about 4?"Matt asked and received a nod of agreement from both Tyler and Lailah before she headed toward the entrance of the house. On her way,she caught sight of her Uncle Mason and immediately diverted her path to move toward him.

"Uncle Mason!"She exclaimed as she approached him,her eyes catching sight of a new person that had been speaking to Mason.

"Lailah."He said as she stood beside him,his face seeming to take on a pale quality as he looked down at his niece.

"Well don't look so happy to see me."She said in sarcasm,crossing her arms across her chest and pursing her lips.

"What are you doing in Mystic Falls?"He questioned,rubbing the back of his neck as he looked over at her and stopped what he was doing.

"Well I was invited by Aunt Carol."She answered,before slapping him as her anger flared within her at everyone's lack of keeping in touch with her. "And that is for just up and leaving and for not letting me know about Uncle Richard's death."

"I thought your aunt did and I didn't want you to stress anymore about the family."

"So what's your excuse for just up and leaving then. You know Tyler missed you."

"Lailah,things happened and I had to leave."Lailah rolled her eyes in annoyance at her uncle until they were interrupted by a throat clearing and she turned attention to the man that stood on the other side of the table,sorting glasses out.

"Sorry you had to hear that. I'm Lailah as you have guessed. You must be new."She greeted,a charming smile on her lips as she took in the sight of the rather attractive boy. Lately she'd found her personality was not only more confident and slightly bitchy,but like Erica and Issac she was also unintentionally more flirtatious.

"Yeah,I'm Stefan Salvatore. I just came back last year."He answered and she nodded in understanding.

"So,you here for family or for the oh so lovely view that the town has to offer?"She asked,resting her hands on the table as she focused her full attention on Stefan instead of her infuriating uncle.

"Um,yeah I came to visit my uncle but he passed away shortly after. My brother and I now live here."He answered,seeming a little uncomfortable on her oddly predatory gaze.

"Well,do you happen to be single? Or is there a special someone in your life?"She asked boldly,keeping her gaze on him but was stopped from her interrogation by her uncle grabbing her arm and dragging her away.

"Bye Stefan,I'll be waiting for that answer."She replied with a wink as she let her uncle move her.

"Stefan and his brother Damon are bad news and I want you to stay away from them."He told her once they were out of earshot and she angrily removed her arm from his hold with a glare.

"You can't tell me what to do. I will talk to whomever I want. You lost the right to boss me around when you suddenly left because of your 'complicated' life."She spit,walking off towards the house as she focused on calming herself down and not shifting in front of all these people. Before she left,Derek had explained about anchors and how they were needed to control shifts both on and off full moons. Taking deep breaths,she focused on her family and let the happy memories calm her down.

Stepping into the mansion,she spotted her aunt being her usual controlling self and found a smile creeping onto her face once more.

"Hey,Aunt Carol."She responded with a smile before she was suddenly embraced by said aunt.

"Oh,Lailah. I'm so glad you made it."

"I wouldn't miss it for the world. It's been years since I've attended a masquerade ball and I thought it was about time I did."

"Well,would you mind helping set up the decorations please? You always did have a great eye for these sorts of things."

"I'd love to Aunt Carol. Only if you stop stressing so much."She answered before heading off to help a few of the volunteers set up the various decorations. As she was directing a few of the volunteers on where to place some of the furniture around the house,she felt a sudden pain in her head and winced slightly at the pain but it soon vanished as quick as it had appeared,confusing her greatly as she excused herself for a moment to get some fresh air. Walking outside,she thought she had heard the sound's of Mason's screams before they were abruptly cut short and she quickened her pace until she caught sight of Mason's truck driving off. Her gaze turned to see Stefan standing there and she walked over to him with her arms crossed across her chest and a soft smile on her face despite the odd sense of unease she felt.

"Hey,do you know where Mason is going?"She asked,hoping he had any idea what had caused Mason to run off like that.

"Um,I think he said something about going to grab something for your aunt."He answered,looking calm and collected but Lailah caught sight of a slight nervousness in his eyes.

"Okay,thanks. And you still haven't answered my question from earlier."She said,turning to him with a smirk and an eyebrow raised.

"Uh,well,yeah. I'm currently single but I just got out of a relationship and I'm not really looking for one at the moment."He explained,rubbing the back of his neck nervously,seeming uncomfortable at her advances. She let out a laugh at his response and shook her head with a warm smile.

"I get it,you're not over her. All you had to do was say no,I'm not going to bite."She said still laughing as she patted his shoulder and walked back inside to resume her duties of decorating. The day continued as such until it was nearing night and most of the volunteers had left,leaving the house furnished to look like a proper ballroom. With a yawn,she headed over to her aunt and cousin to say good night before heading to bed in one of the spare rooms.

"Good night."She said,giving each a kiss on the cheek and a upstairs,she finally relished in the luxurious bed and the refreshing sleep that overcame her soon after her head hit the pillow. She had a feeling tomorrow would be more interesting.


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4

 **A/N:Thank you for the favorites and follows! I appreciate it immensely and it inspires me to continue writing my story. Sorry about the delay in posting, I haven't been feeling very well lately and I've been putting off writing but I'll try and be more regular from now on.**

 **Disclaimer:The only things I own are Lailah and this story.**

The next morning Lailah awoke to the sounds of movement from downstairs and assumed it was only her aunt making last minute adjustments to the house to prepare for tonight. With a groan,she realized that she still needed to find a dress and mask for tonight and unfortunately she was at a loss as to what she was going to wear. She knew her friend Caroline was a fashion expert and if anyone could find a dress for Lalah at such short notice,it was her. Besides it would be nice to see her old friends again after the long time they'd been apart,it'd given everyone a chance to change during the hiatus.

Pulling herself from her thoughts,she stretched and began to get ready for the no doubt busy day ahead of her. She went through her normal routine of taking a shower,drying her hair,changing into her outfit for the day, and brushing her teeth before she was ready to leave. She walked downstairs and into the kitchen where she found Tyler eating his breakfast but found Aunt Carol was missing from the house.

"Hey Tyler. Where's Aunt Carol?"She asked curiously,walking over to the cabinet and grabbing a bowl and a box of cereal. Pouring the cereal in the bowl,she returned the box to the cabinet and took the milk from the fridge to fill her cereal.

"She had to go get some last minute decorations and make sure everything else was in order for the party."He answered with a shrug.

"I'm going to go find a dress for tonight so I won't be around until later tonight."She said as she sat down to eat her breakfast,looking over at her cousin as he finished up his food.

"That's fine, I'll find something to do."He answered,getting up and ruffling her hair as he headed upstairs. With a frown,Lailah smoothed her hair down and finished her cereal before grabbing her car keys and headed outside. She decided to visit Elena's house first to talk with her since she didn't have a chance to see her yesterday as she had planned. The drive took longer than she thought,seeing as how she was slightly rusty on where she was headed after the years of being away from Mystic Falls.

Arriving at the house,she parked on the street beside the walkway and took a moment to look at the house,relishing in the familiar feeling of seeing the Gilbert house. She stepped out of the car and headed up the walkway to the door,her nose catching a few unfamiliar scents around the porch that were fainter than those inside. Knocking on the door,she couldn't help but listen in on the sounds that emanated from within the house and found that Matt was also in the house and she could hear sounds of pain coming from a person. She focused intently on the person in pain and found that it was Elena and Jeremy's aunt Jenna who was in a moderate amount of pain while she talked to Matt. As she was focusing on Jenna,the door was suddenly opened and she was met with the curious face of Jeremy's.

"Hey, Jeremy. Remember me?'She asked with a teasing smile,happiness shining in her eyes as she watched his reaction.

"Lailah?"He asked in surprise before he engulfed her in a hug with a wide smile on his lips.

"Hey! Can I come in or would you rather I stand on your porch awkwardly?"She asked with a laugh,pulling away from the hug to look at him.

"Um,yeah sure."He answered,stepping back and opening the door wider to let her in,though she noticed there was a strange look on his face as he did so.

"Okay, thanks."She replied,walking inside and giving him a look as she passed him. Her eyes caught sight of Elena and Matt talking and she headed over to them,eager to talk with them and catch up on the things she'd missed.

"So,what's going on?"She asked curiously,stepping up beside Matt and catching Elena by surprise.

"Lailah. It's been a while since you were in Mystic Falls."Elena said,a smile on her face but it didn't quite reach her eyes. Her scent held a strong smell of anxiety that didn't go unnoticed by Lailah and she could also detect a faint smell of death on her as well.

"Yeah, it has. I heard about Uncle Richard's death and decided to come back for a while. So,what happened to Jenna? And where are your parents?"She questioned,turning to look at Jenna who was laying on the couch.

"My parent's passed away a year ago."Elena responded, looking down at the countertop before giving Lailah a weak smile.

"Sorry, people don't really tell me about things in Mystic Falls."She apologized,giving a faint smile of her own,knowing exactly what it felt like to lose her parents.

"And Jenna fell on a knife."Elena answered,her sadness fading as they switched to a new topic.

"I don't know how she managed that but I have a feeling she was trying to cook."She said with a soft laugh.

"Yeah, you know how Jenna is with cooking. We try and keep her away from the kitchen as much as possible but sometimes she just finds a way in."

"I can hear you and I'm not that bad."Jenna protested from her spot on the couch, causing both Elena and Lailah to laugh.

"Well as nice as it is to see you all again, I'm hoping you all can tell me where to find Caroline. I need a dress for tonight and if anyone can help it's Caroline."She explained to Elena,knowing she would need to get started on finding an outfit for tonight soon.

"Um,I think she said something about being at the boarding house but I'm sure she's probably at home by now."Elena answered,though she quickly steered Lailah away from the thought of going to the boarding house as though she worried about her being there.

"Okay thanks, I'll check at her house."She reiterated,with a smile but in her mind she immediately decided on heading over to the boarding house first.

"Well I'm glad to see you again and don't be afraid to stop by."Elena said as she hugged her goodbye and smiled at her childhood friend.

"Thanks for helping me find Caroline and I hope to see you at the ball tonight. The decorating was mostly done by yours truly."Lailah said as she hugged both Jeremy and Matt goodbye and gave Jenna a wave goodbye before heading out of the house and to her car. She was at first unsure as to where the boarding house was but she vaguely remembered a Salvatore boarding house that her aunt would mention when she was discussing the town's history so Lailah decided to start her search for Caroline there. She ended up driving around for a while before she came upon the boarding house or at least she hoped it was the boarding house.

Parking, she walked toward the house with a confident stride and took a look around the area before knocking on the door. It swung open and she was met with the face of an unfamiliar black haired man who seemed annoyed at her presence as he looked at her with mischievous blue eyes.

"I don't remember meeting you so what is it you want?"He asked,leaning against the door frame and openly dragging his eyes down her figure as he waited for her answer.

"I'm not here for you. I'm looking for Caroline."She replied,rolling her eyes at his flirtatious attitude.

"Fine, but I think we'd have a lot of fun together."He answered,moving so she could pass him and head inside the house to find Caroline. She walked into the parlor of the house and found Caroline with Stefan and an unfamiliar man as well who seemed to be crowded around a box. To gain their attention,she let out a couple fake coughs while the black haired man trailed behind her,his gaze turning to the group with a smirk on his lips as he watched them jolt in surprise. Stefan stared at her with wide eyes while Caroline ran up to her oddly fast and embraced her a tight hug.

"Lailah!"Caroline squealed happily,pulling back to look at her with a smile on her face as Lailah inhaled a few deep breaths.

"When did you get so strong?"She asked playfully,noticing that Caroline might have bruised a rib during her tight hug though it was quickly healing anyways.

"Oh,uh I don't know. So,how'd you know to find me here?"Caroline answered,avoiding giving a direct answer and moving onto another topic just as Elena had done earlier.

"Well I asked Elena where you were and she mentioned the boarding house before telling me that you were probably at your house. Elena was never a good liar and tends to shift the attention away from something she doesn't want to talk about,sounds like someone else I know."Lailah answered as she gave her friend a look.

"Um, yeah. So, why did you want to find me? I'm guessing you didn't just want to say hi, huh?"

"No,I didn't come all the way here to say hi. I need to find a dress for tonight and I figured if anyone can help me find one in such short notice,it's you."She explained,feeling everyone's eyes on her which only resulted in annoying her more so than she already was by the man's earlier actions at the door.

"Oh sure,I'd love to."Caroline answered cheerfully,grabbing her arm and beginning to drag her away.

"Hey,don't I get to meet the strangers in the room who now know my name?"Lailah asked with a laugh as she looked over at the men in the room,sending a look to her friend.

"Oh,right. Everyone, this is Lailah. Lailah this is Damon, Alaric, and Stefan."Caroline introduced her,bringing her closer to them by dragging her around once more.

"Alaric is the history teacher at school and Stefan and Damon live here."Care provided for her,to which Lailah frowned a little in thought.

"You all hang out with your history teacher?"She questioned,looking over at the teenagers in surprise."No offense Alaric, but it's not exactly normal for high schoolers to hang out with their teachers."

Alaric laughed a little at her question and gave her a friendly smile,to know she hadn't insulted him."It's fine and the reason I'm here is because I'm dating Elena's aunt Jenna and I just happen to be friends with Elena's friends."He explained,picking up his glass and taking a drink from it.

"Oh,I was unaware Jenna was even over her last boyfriend. Guess I've missed a lot."Lailah said with a gentle smile,realizing just how much had gone on that she had missed in her years gone.

"But it's okay,you're back now!"Caroline said happily,hugging her tightly once more.

"I'm not staying forever,I do have to go back to Beacon Hills eventually.I'm really only here for Tyler."She responded,noticing the mention of his name had drawn the attention of the three men.

"Why come all this way for Tyler?"Damon asked as he came to stand in front of her and sipped his drink.

"Well,he's my cousin and I'm not about to let him deal with everything on his own."

"But he's got Mason doesn't he?"

"Yeah but Mason's an idiot so he doesn't count. He can't take care of a goldfish let alone a teenager."She said with an annoyed sigh and a roll of her eyes to which Damon let out a chuckle.

"So are you from his mom or dad's side of the family?"Damon questioned.

"Why do you want to know?"She asked cooly,crossing her arms as she eyed him.

"Just curious."

"Well,I'm from his dad's side. I'm a Lockwood and actually the only girl that's a direct descendent for a very long time."She responded with a soft laugh as she shrugged.

"Good to know."He said as he looked at her over the rim of his glass.

"Yeah,so why don't you go with Caroline and get your dress and we'll see you at the ball tonight,"Stefan said as he steered her toward the door alongside Caroline.

"Um,okay."She said as they were essentially thrown out."Are they always this weird?"

"Unfortunately yes."Caroline replied before pushing her towards her car and ordering her into the passenger's side. The drive to the mall was filled with pop music and Caroline's constant chatter as she told Lailah the latest gossip,though she soon focused solely on Matt and Lailah came to the realization that Caroline had feelings for Matt but was reluctant to admit it to him.

"If you want to be with him just tell him so."Lailah said with a reassuring smile.

"It's not that easy."Caroline answered sadly.

"Why not?"

"We were together for a little while but we both changed and we separated.I broke up with him because I thought I was do the right thing,I wasn't exactly in the right emotional state and I didn't want him to have to deal with that. Now that were both back to normal,he can barely stand me."Care told her as they parked in the mall parking lot with tears clouding in her eyes.

"Oh,Care. I'm sure that's not true,you're great to be around."She assured her,pulling into a hug as tears slid down her cheeks.

"Look at me,I'm a mess. No wonder he can't stand me."Caroline whimpered as she cried and Lailah continued to comfort her crying friend.

"Care,you're an amazing person. Sure,you can be a little overbearing sometimes but that's just you and it's what makes you loveable. Matt doesn't hate you but maybe it was just never going to work out in the first place. Sometimes even the most perfect couple just aren't meant to be. I know it sounds ridiculous and hard to believe but there's another guy out there that is perfect for you. You just have to have a little faith."Lailah said,placing her hand on Caroline's shoulder."Now how about we do some shopping for tonight? I know that always cheers you up."

"Yeah, it does. Besides we need to find you a gorgeous dress that'll make the guy's jaws drop."She replied,wiping her eyes and putting a bright smile on her face. The two entered the mall and Caroline immediately began leading the way while Lailah obediently followed,letting Caroline do what she did best. After trying on dress after dress, Caroline and Lailah both decided on a dress for her to wear tonight and soon found one for Caroline as well. Buying both heels and a mask to match their dresses,the girls headed back to the car as they discussed tonight.

"Would you mind coming over tonight to help me get ready?"She asked her blonde-haired friend as they got into her car."Also,would you mind going back to the boarding house so I can pick up my car?"

"Sure,I'll be over a little later but I'll drop you off so you can get your car besides I have to ask Stefan something."

"Oh that reminds me,who's he dating?"

"Why?"

"Well I was flirting with him yesterday and I could tell he was still into another girl even though he said they broke up."

"Wait you flirted with Stefan!?"

"Yeah,I mean he's cute. But he turned me down. He also looked terrified the entire time,like a girl being straight forward was completely unknown to him."

"I am so going to tease him about this later. Anyways he was with Elena but things got really complicated between the two so they decided to break up."Caroline explained with a smile,pulling up beside Lailah's car to allow her to get out.

"Well nice to know and thank you for helping me. I'll see you later tonight."She said before embracing her in a hug goodbye and getting out of the car to get in her own. Pulling out of the driveway,she noticed Caroline walking inside along with Bonnie and Jeremy which was a bit odd,what were they all doing in there? She shook off her thoughts as she headed home to relax with Tyler before the party.

Arriving at the mansion,she parked and got out to stretch her stiff limbs from being both confined in a vehicle and being tortured by Caroline when they were trying on dresses earlier. Walking inside,she quickly took notice of her busy aunt and Tyler who was relaxing upstairs. As she headed upstairs to spend time with Tyler,she noticed the house was void of Mason's presence and his scent was stale,indicating he hadn't been there for a while. She came upon a rather angry Tyler and was immediately concerned as to what had set his temper off.

"Tyler what's the matter?"She asked as she set her bags down and sat down beside him on his bed.

"Nothing Lay."He grumbled in reply,glaring down at the floor.

"Well it's something. You don't usually glare at the floor for nothing. C'mon vent to me, your secrets are safe with me."She continued, placing a gentle hand on his shoulder.

"Fine."He muttered as his features relaxed slightly and he let out a sigh."Mom told me that Mason texted her saying he was going back to Florida. I mean,he couldn't even tell us face-to-face about it."

"Sounds like typical Mason. I know you wanted him to change but people like him don't change,he's never been one for responsibility and I don't think that'll ever change."She answered.

"I know but I just hoped he would stay. He was helping me with some things that only we understood and now I have no one to help me."

"Well,you have me. I'm not going anywhere soon, I promise. I'll try my best to help but if this is about like guy stuff, I'm at a bit of a loss there. I mean if you have like problems down there,I would suggest going to the doctor's or-"Her rambling was cut short by Tyler's horrified 'NO' and she blushed softly at her awkwardness.

"No,it's nothing like that. You honestly wouldn't understand."He answered,shaking his head in denial.

"Just try me."

'I-I-I can't.I'm sorry,I wish I could tell you but I can't."

"I understand. On a different note we should probably go downstairs to help your mom before she stresses herself out too much about the ball."She said with a teasing smile,not wanting to push Tyler to tell her;if he wanted to keep whatever it was a secret,she would let him. Giving him a hug,she grabbed her bags and chucked them into her room before heading downstairs to calm her frantic aunt. It was a wonder Carol hadn't given herself a heart attack with all her constant fretting over every little thing,as if perfect wasn't actually perfect. Her green eyes took a moment to appreciate her decorating skills as she passed the areas that displayed her talents and felt a proud smile form on her lips.

She finally found her aunt giving orders to the caterers for the party and let out a sigh of amusement as she watched the staff struggle to comprehend all the meticulous orders given to them. When she noticed the growing weariness of the group,she decided to step in and free them of their torture.

"Hey Aunt Carol. Is there anything you needed me to help with?"She asked curiously,taking her aunt's attention away from the caterers and allowing them to escape.

"No,no,no. You should be getting ready for tonight not helping me."Her aunt protested, which caught Lailah by surprise.

"I'm actually waiting on Caroline. She said she'd help me get ready."

"Oh,well tell her to hurry ball is to start in only a few hours and I don't want you rushing."

"Um,okay I will."She answered,turning on her heel and heading back upstairs to her room to text Caroline. An hour passed and she was growing increasingly bored while waiting for Care that was until her ears caught the sound of the doorbell ringing and she bolted down the stairs to open the door. Seeing a startled Caroline on the otherside, Lailah simply smiled and grabbed her arm as she dragged her upstairs and to her room.

"Someone's excited for tonight."Caroline commented with a laugh as she hung her own dress beside Lailah's.

"Why wouldn't I be? Masquerades are so much fun!"She replied with a laugh as she headed into the bathroom to start her makeup. Caroline soon joined her and the two began the tedious process of getting ready for the ball. Soon enough the two were ready in their outfits for the night and were simply adding finishing touches to their makeup when they both heard people start entering the house for the ball.

Lailah took a moment to look at herself in the mirror and smiled at how well the short,feathered teal dress showed off her figure and complimented her green eyes. The azure heels and peacock necklace completed the ensemble and tried together the peacock mask she had paired with the dress. It was only then that she realized she was alone in her room and Caroline had left to go downstairs already and mingle in the party. Putting her mask on,Lailah descended the stairs slowly as she felt eyes on her and simply flashed a charming smile and held her head high. The old Lailah would have blushed and cowered under the gazes of so many people but she was no longer that person,thanks to the bite.

Her eyes took in her surroundings and she soon found her way over to Caroline but was stopped from going any further when she realized that Caroline was currently having a staring contest with Matt and she decided not to interrupt that moment for them. Grabbing a cup of punch,she spotted Elena and headed over to her with a smile.

"Hi,Elena. Glad to see you came and I love your dress."She commented as she approached,admiring her black dress and the nice updo she had done.

"Thanks."Elena replied with a mischievous smile on her lips.

"Hey,how is Jenna doing?'She asked curiously,trying to make small talk while the party continued to bustle around them.

"Oh,she's okay. A bit out of it but I think that's because of the pain meds."

"Well,as long as she stays out of the kitchen she should be fine."

"Hey,can you excuse me for a moment."Elena said with a smirk as she walked off towards Damon. Lailah simply shrugged before she heard a commotion coming from a few rooms over. She hurried over,listening intently when she heard both Matt and Tyler's voices in the room. Her heels clicked loudly against the floor but the clicking was drowned out by the surrounding noise of the party and she hurriedly appeared in the doorway to see Matt and Tyler arguing. Hurrying to break them up,she stepped in between them only to be hit by one of Matt's punches which caused a spark of anger in her before she calmed herself.

However this was seen by Tyler and being as protective as he is,he ended up knocking out Matt and turning to see how Lailah's face was faring,though she was already healing. She excused herself from the room to take a look at her face in the bathroom before she returned,only to find a girl unconscious...no dead on the floor and Tyler standing next to Caroline in shock.

"What happened?"She asked them,worried to hear the answer.

"They were having fun and she slipped and hit her head."Caroline replied with a distraught face as she comforted Tyler. To anyone else, she would have seemed completely truthful but Lailah had heard her heart skip a beat at the lie. She couldn't understand why the two had lied about the girl's death and she worried her cousin had been the cause of it.

"Caroline get your mom and tell her what happened. I'll be outside."She told them,needing to clear her head before she talked with her cousin about what really happened. Walking outside, she grabbed a glass of champagne on her way and kept walking until she was away from the party inside. Taking a few deep breaths,she focused on calming herself down and hoped the alcohol would help. Her claws dug into her palms as she stressed over her brother and the possible death he could have caused but after taking a few deep breaths her wolf retreated inside her once more. She was startled out of her concentration by Elena's voice and she quickly headed over to the sound of her distress.

Her eyes found Elena's unconscious form laying on the ground and rushed to her side in concern,glad to find she was still alive. As she rose to go get help for her hurt friend, she was suddenly grabbed and propelled forward but another person. Her head collided with the trunk of a car and she soon found herself enveloped in darkness.


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5

 **A/N:Thanks for the favorites and follows,I appreciate them! The updates will be spaced out again because I will be in Massachusetts with limited internet access. Also a shout out to** **EmeraldPrincessRanger** **for my first review!**

Lailah eyes fluttered open and she let out a groan as her sensitive eyes began to adjust to the bright lights of the room. Memories of last night began to filter into her mind and she bolted upright in a panic,her golden eyes flashing as she looked around wildly in a panic before her eyes caught sight of Elena laying beside her. Elena was still unconscious and was blissfully unaware of their predicament while her friend began to look for an escape. The unfamiliar room was unsettling and she assumed that they had been kidnapped for some reason by a person still unknown to both girls despite their odd scent lingering in the room. Whoever had taken them, had thought their plan through as she listened to the sounds around them and assumed they were at the least miles from the nearest house.

She heard footsteps nearing the door and stood protectively in front of Elena as she waited to meet their kidnappers,her green eyes glaring venomously towards their anticipated entrance. In entered a guy no older than herself with brown hair and a rather angry attitude, though this anger didn't seem to be directed at her but instead at the girl she stood in front of. As she opened her mouth to confront him,a girl walked in behind him and stood off to the side to watch over everyone in the room. Elena began to stir behind her and she turned her attention to her injured friend,sitting down beside her and looking her over for any further injuries she hadn't noticed before. Her examination was cut short when the man came to Elena's other side and eyed her bleeding wounds with a devilish smirk.

"Please let us go, I'm hurt."Elena began to plead with him,holding her bleeding side as she spoke.

"I know. Just a taste."He answered as he leaned toward her with that same smirk of his,his eyes darkening. Lailah tensed as the stranger neared Elena and she prepared to attack him when she was interrupted by the woman's voice calling out to him angrily from her place leaning against the wall.

"Trevor! Control yourself."The woman called out to the man she now realized was Trevor.

"Buzz kill."He answered but relented anyways and walked off.

"What do you want with us?"Elena asks as she sits up and rubs her sore wrists.

"My god you look just like her."The woman muttered in wonder,her voice holding a slight accent as she spoke to Elena.

"But I'm not. Please whatever you-"Elena began but was cut off by the increasingly annoyed voice of their kidnapper.

"Be quiet."

"But I'm not Katherine. My name is Elena Gilbert,you don't have to do this."

"I know who you are,I said be quiet."

"Elena, do as she says."Lailah said warningly from her spot beside her on the couch when she noticed the woman was growing agitated at Elena's continuous interruptions.

"What do you want?"Elena asked,ignoring her friend's warning and continuing to annoy the aggravated woman.

"I want you to be quiet."The woman slapped Elena in anger,successfully knocking her unconscious. Standing up protectively,Lailah glared at the woman and with a growl,pinned her to the wall with her hand wrapped around her throat.

"A werewolf?"The woman asked in shock,before she shoved Lailah off of her and sped over to Elena. As Lailah moved to attack the strange woman again,she caught sight of their kidnapper holding Elena's delicate neck in her hands and halted her movements.

"You take another step and I'll hurt her."The woman warned,turning her neck to the side and resting her palm against her pulse.

"No you won't. You need her. Why else would you have brought her here and gone through al this trouble."She pointed out,eyeing the woman's movements carefully.

"Oh,I can hurt her and then heal her. Elijah will never know. He simply wants her alive."

"How could you heal her?"She asked in confusion.

"Vampire blood heals humans."

"Wait,vampires?"At this point,Lailah had forgotten about fighting the woman and was instead trying to understand what was going on.

"Yes vampires. Are you saying you're a werewolf who thought Vampires didn't exist?"The woman said in disbelief,releasing her hold on Elena and letting her drop back to the couch.

"Well it wasn't so much that I thought they didn't exist just that I never thought I'd meet one."She answered.

"Well you're little friend here knows a lot about that particular subject than most humans. When she wakes up,ask her your questions because I have far better things to do than explain vampires to you."The woman said before walking off and leaving Lailah to her thoughts. Sitting down beside her friend,she waited for the girl to wake up and explain to her what she had gotten them into. In the meantime, she listened the two kidnappers fight downstairs about someone named Elijah and how Trevor was running from him after a mistake. The next few hours,or at least that's what it felt like,consisted of her counting the cracks on the ceiling,listening to Elena's heartbeat,and eavesdropping on the conversation a few rooms over.

Soon Elena began to wake up beside her and she turned to look over at her,her lips pursed as she waited for her to gain full consciousness before she questioned her about her knowledge on vampires. Her heartbeat quickened as she woke up and Lailah crossed her arms across her chest as she got up from her spot on the couch to look around the room.

"So when were you going to tell me about this whole vampire thing?"She asked,looking out the window for a moment before she turned her attention toward Elena who looked at her in shock.

"I-I,um. I didn't think you needed to know."Elena answered,stumbling over her words as she stared at her friend.

"Well it's because of that information that we're stuck here. So I'd like to know what is going on."Lailah answered,feeling her temper spike as she whipped around to glare at Elena.

"It's a long story."Elena answered with a sigh.

"Well I'm not going anywhere soon. So get to it."She demanded,pursing her lips and leaning against the wall to listen to Elena's explanation of the vampire world.

"So, you fell in love with a vampire and now you have to deal with his ex-girlfriend who for some reason looks exactly like you. Also Trevor and Rose are vampires. A vampires weaknesses are vervain,sunlight, and wooden stakes. Is that everything?"Lailah reiterated after Elena had explained everything to her,trying to grasp everything that had been told to her.

"Yeah, pretty much."Elena replied with a weak smile.

"Sounds complicated."She replied teasingly. The two settled into a comfortable silence,neither wanting to say a word after the rather awkward conversation about vampires. Hearing Elena's movements,she turned her attention toward the injured girl and watched in confusion as said girl began to walk out of the room. She was well aware of the arguing vampires only two rooms but she didn't think Elena was dumb enough to try and sneak out while they were seemingly distracted. Unfortunately,Elena was and continued to creep along the floor despite how ridiculous it was to attempt an escape.

"You! There's nothing around here for miles. If you think you're getting out of this house, you're tragically wrong. Understand?"Rose said angrily to Elena as Lailah stepped out of the room and toward their confrontation.

"Watch her."She said warningly to me,glaring at Elena once more before she pushed her toward the werewolf.

"C'mon Elena."Lailah said with a sigh,grabbing Elena's arm and beginning to drag her toward the room they had been held in since their arrival but the brunette resisted to ask Rose another question.

"Who's Elijah?"She asked which gained her an eye roll of annoyance from Lailah,though she too was curious as to who this person was and why they had been running from.

"He's your worst nightmare."Rose answered with a serious face before she left with Trevor.

"Sounds like a lovely guy."Lailah said sarcastically as she dragged Elena back into the room and pushed her to sit down on the couch.

"Stay."She said forcefully,crossing her arms across her chest and leaning against the nearby table,keeping her eyes trained on Elena. Elena simply glared at her words,moving to get up but was met with a deadly glare from Lailah and was once more pushed down onto the couch.

"Don't give me that look. You're going to get yourself killed if you don't stop pushing things."She scolded Elena,when she received another glare from the brunette. The two girls were left alone for a little while but were once again greeted by Rose's presence as she began to board up the windows of the room for some reason.

"Why am I here?"Elena questioned,getting up from her spot on the couch and walking closer to Rose. At this point, Lailah was fed up with Elena and had stopped trying to help her. 'If she gets herself killed before her boyfriend gets her,it'll be on her and not me.'She thought to herself with a sigh as she reclined against the couch with a sigh.

"You keep asking me these questions like I'm gonna answer them."Rose replied with a pointed look toward Elena.

"Why won't you?"Elena pressed.

"That's another one."

"You got me okay? It's not like I can go anywhere. The least you can do is tell me what you want with me."

"I personally want nothing; I'm just a delivery service."

"Delivery to who? Elijah?"

"Two points to the eavesdropper."

"Who is he? Is he a vampire?"

"What do you think Elena? Now stop asking questions."Lailah asked with a roll of her eyes as she took of her heel and threw at the girl in irritation.

"Ow."Elena said as she rubbed her arm where the heel had hit her.

"And yes Elijah is a vampire but he's an original."Rose replied,continuing to do what she was doing as though the sudden shoe attack hadn't fazed her.

"What do you mean the originals?"

"Again with the questions. Haven't the Salvatore's been teaching you your vampire history?"

"So you know Damon and Stefan?"

"I know of them. A hundred years back,a friend of mine tried to set me up with Stefan. She said he was one of the good ones. I'm more of a sucker for the bad boys though but I digress."

"Who are the originals?"

"Trevor and I have been running for 500 years. We're tired,we want it over. We're using you to negotiate ourselves out of an old mess."

"But why me?"

"Because you're a Petrova Doppelganger. You're the key to breaking the curse."

"The curse? The sun and the moon curse?"

"Oh, you do know your history."

"What do mean I'm the key? The moonstone is what breaks the curse."

"No,the moonstone is what binds the curse. The sacrifice is what breaks it."

"The sacrifice?"

"The blood of the Doppelganger. You're the doppelganger. Which means in order to break the curse,you're the one who has to die."

"Well, you're screwed Elena."Lailah said as she sat up and looked at the brunette doppelganger after the news they had been told.

"What?"Elena asked in disbelief.

"Well face it Elena. If these originals are so hell bent on getting you,they will eventually get you and when that happens,there is nothing stopping them from killing you."Lailah answered bluntly,taking off her other heel and walking over to the one unboarded window. She spread her arms and basked in the refreshing warmth of the sunlight but her moment was unfortunately interrupted by Trevor's entrance.

"Tell me more."Elena demanded.

"Captivity has made her pushy,eh? What do you want to know doppelicious?"Trevor said with a smirk.

"Unfortunately,she's always like this."Lailah muttered.,reluctantly moving from the window as he began to put a board over it as well.

"Who were you running from?"Elena asked,jumping at the opportunity for someone answering her questions.

"The originals."Trevor replied.

"Yeah, she said that. What does that mean?"

"The first family,the old world. Rose and I pissed them off." At this,Rose looked over at him and shook her head.

"Correction,I pissed them off,Rose had my back and for over a millennium,they wanted us dead."

"What did you do?"

"He made the same mistake countless others did;he trusted Katerina Petrova."Rose interjected.

"Katherine."Elena answered,clearing things up for the slightly confused werewolf in the room.

"The one and only,the first Petrova doppelganger."

"I helped her escape her fate and now I've,sorry,we've been marked ever since."Trevor said as he crossed his arms across his chest.

"Which is why we're not gonna make the same mistake again."Rose answered,sending both Trevor and Elena a pointed look.

"That still doesn't explain why I'm here."Lailah said as she turned her attention to the vampires in the room,taking the attention off Elena's impending doom.

"You were just in the wrong place at the wrong time."Rose replied.

"Great."Lailah said sarcastically with a sigh,moving to sit on the couch once more. Her head snapped up when she heard the sounds of footsteps outside the house and she turned to look at the two vampires,finding they had only just now realized they had a guest downstairs. Immediately after hearing the sounds emitting from outside,Trevor began to pace the room worriedly and Lailah decided to give him a wide berth in fear he would strike out in a mixture of fear and anger.

"He's here! This was a mistake."Trevor said,pacing along the floor worriedly. If his heart still beat,Lailah knew it would no doubt be beating a mile a minute.

"No,I told you I would get us out of this. You have to trust me."Rose reassured him.

"No! He wants me dead."

"He wants her more."

"I can't do this. You give her to him, he'll have mercy on you but I need to get out of here."

"Hey! What are we?"

"We're family,forever."Trevor finally stopped pacing after listening to Rose's words but still maintained the same scared expression on his face and she could have sworn she saw him jump when there was a knock on the door.

"You're scared."Elena said and Lailah could only wonder why she too wasn't terrified for her life.

"Stay here with her and don't make a sound."Rose said as she began to walk away.

"What about this one?"Trevor asked before she could head downstairs,nodding in Lailah's direction.

"Get rid of her. We don't need Elijah thinking this is a trap."Rose said,to which Lailah turned wide eyes to the male vampire as he sped over to her and grabbed her by her neck. As she growled and shoved him away with her strength,he grabbed a broken chair leg and ran toward her. Shoving it into her stomach,Lailah doubled over in pain as the wood was shoved farther into her body,a silent scream of pain leaving her lips as she struggled to regain her breath. Before she could fight him off further,her head was smacked against the wall and the world turned black.

 **3rd Person POV**

Elena let out a cry of anguish at her friend's supposed death but was silenced by the glare of Trevor as he grabbed Lailah's unconscious body and dragged her into another room,laying her bleeding body there before returning to watch over Elena. He could hear Rose talking to Elijah downstairs and he prayed things would go according to plan and Elijah would take the doppelganger and pardon them. Suddenly Elijah and Rose appear in the doorway and Elena's eyes widened in fear as she turned her head to avoid his gaze. Elijah sped over to her and lowered his head to her neck and inhaled her scent,finding she was in fact human.

"Human. It's impossible. Hello there."Elijah said as he stared at his new prize. After a moment of conversation,he was interrupted by Trevor's plea for forgiveness and merely smirked his way.

"So granted."He answered,before smacking his head clean off his shoulder while Rose and Elena were forced to watch the horrid scene. Gesturing for Elena to follow him out of the house,he was surprised when she knew of the moonstone. Turning to look at a distraught Rose, he questioned if she was aware of this but was simply answered with a shake of her head. The two vampires and the human heard noises downstairs and Elijah turned to look accusingly at Rose to which she looked just as surprised as he did. Heading downstairs,he dragged them both by their arms and took a moment to gaze around the room for the possible threat.

The girls were taken by the invading vampires and he glared at the blurring figures,speeding up the stairs when he caught sight of the doppelganger standing there. Imagine his surprise,when she let vervain explode in his face and he was being shot at by yet another vampire.a rather familiar vampire. Throwing said vampire off of him after being attacked,he was unprepared for the assault of the remaining vampire and it resulted in his death.

After waking up from his temporary death,he angrily pulled the coat hanger from his heart and threw it to the ground. Before he left from the house,he caught the faint scent of blood upstairs and decided to investigate where it was originating from and possibly if it was a free meal. Instead he found an unconscious girl in a homecoming dress,strewn across the floor with a chair leg embedded in her abdomen. Placing his hand against her neck,he was surprised to find a pulse and stared down at the beautiful girl in confusion for a moment. Judging by the blood stain on the carpet,she had been in this spot for a while and had lost enough blood to have killed her but for some reason she was still alive.

Gripping the slick wood,he pulled it from her body and watched as she awoke with a groan.

 **Lailah's POV**

Suddenly the world was no longer a blank void but instead was slowly becoming brighter and she could barely make out the shape of a person kneeling by her side as she began to come to her senses. The first thing she noticed was the pain emanating from her stomach and the wound beginning to heal now that the wood was no longer obstructing the healing process. She didn't recognize the person and let out a warning growl,to weak from blood loss to do anything else as she lay helplessly.

"A wolf."He murmured in amazement just as Rose had done earlier when she revealed that she was a werewolf. He continued to stare at her for a few more moments before he spoke in a gentle tone.

"I'm Elijah and I would like to help you if you let me. I don't mean you any harm,you have my word on that." Lailah stared at him and mulled over his words in her head before she reluctantly nodded her head.

"Okay."She said in a frail voice before she was picked up in his arms and cradled against his chest as she hissed in pain. Despite the fast healing process of her body,she was far too weak to fully heal properly and her broken ribs needed to be set properly before she was no longer in pain. Laying her head against his chest,she soon found they were in another house and she assumed this was Elijah's home. The door was opened by another man and she wondered who he was but she assumed he meant her no harm either. Elijah laid her down on the couch and she let a couple cries of pain at the pain in her ribs and gripped Elijah's wrist until the waves of pain faded.

"I need you to set my ribs properly or I can't heal."She said through gritted teeth,looking up at Elijah with pain-filled eyes.

"I'll try my best."He replied and she nodded,moving to sit up and remove her dress so he could have better idea of where the bones were.

"What are you doing?"He questioned worriedly.

"I'm trying to remove my dress so you have a better idea of where the bones are and this dress is to tight for broken bones."She answered,struggling to reach the zipper. She was both startled and grateful when she felt Elijah's hands on her bare back,helping her remove the now ruined dress and leaving her in a strapless bra and underwear. It was a little strange to be half naked in front of a guy she had just met moments ago but the pain quickly clouded over the awkwardness as he began to adjust the broken bones. After a few more gentle movements and growls,her bones were set properly and were healing fine,the pain diminishing as well. Elijah's hand moved to her head as he brushed a few pieces of hair from her sweaty forehead,his lips pulled into a reassuring smile.

"Thank you."She said softly,taking a few deep breaths as the wounds internally healed.

"It is no problem. You are welcome to stay here until you are feeling better."He offered as he stood and straightened his jacket.

"Why are you being so kind? Not that I'm complaining,I'm just curious."She asked,getting off the couch and slipping back into her dress instead of walking around in her underwear.

"I find you intriguing and you were need of help so I offered it."He answered.

"Well,thank you again. If you don't mind, are there any clothes i could borrow to change into after a shower?"She asked,realizing she was in desperate need of a shower and a new change of clothes.

"I'm sure I can find something for you to wear and the bathroom is upstairs and the second door on the right."She sent him a kind smile and nodded her thanks,heading upstairs and following his directions to the bathroom. Stepping into the bathroom,she stripped of her clothes and stepped into the warm spray of the water. Closing her eyes,she thought of the day she had and how she was no friends with the enemy now. But he had been there when she needed someone while they had abandoned her. They left her, her so called friends left her to die without a care for her. The thoughts sent an angry spark through her and she felt her golden eyes flash along with her lengthening claws. They betrayed her.


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter 6

 **A/N:Thank you for all the favorites, follows and reviews! I really appreciate it and I'm glad you all like this story. Sorry about the late reply but I've been having a bit of writer's block.**

Taking deep breaths to calm herself,she felt her claws retract and her eyes return to their bright emerald green. Though she wanted nothing more than to get revenge on them for doing such a thing,a part of her mind reasoned that maybe Elena thought she was dead after the brutal attack. Elena wasn't aware of her wolf status and no human could have a had a chance at life after suffering such pain combined with blood loss. She continued to shower and mull over the thoughts clouding her mind,trying to comprehend what had happened that day. Her wolf side wanted nothing more than to take revenge on those who had wrongly left her for death while her human side knew it would be foolish to act on these impulses especially now when she was caught in the middle of a war. One of which she was unaware of which side she was to be on.

Turning off the water,she stood there for a moment to stare at the shower wall in front of her before stepping out and wrapping a towel around her body. Wiping the mirror clean,she looked at her reflection and took a few deep breaths to further relax herself before turning attention away from it. Looking at herself,she saw a girl no longer as innocent and naive as her first visit to Mystic Falls but instead a girl who was stuck in a fight both within herself and in the town around her. Almost dying in that abandoned house had let her finally see that she couldn't be the carefree fun girl anymore,she had a responsibility to look out for Tyler and make sure he wasn't involved in any of this. Her gaze caught sight of a folded shirt set on the toilet seat and she assumed Elijah had put them there while she was distracted by her thoughts earlier.

The clothing consisted of an oversized shirt that reached mid-thigh and though it was a bit strange to wear around a 1000 year old vampire's home but it was better than the bloody dress lying on the floor. Grabbing the bloody dress in her hand,she stepped out of the bathroom to find Elijah and followed his scent downstairs to find him sipping a cup of blood while reading a book on the couch. She wrinkled her nose at the smell of blood and the odd smell of death that lingered around the vampire but still sat down beside him despite the horrid smells that invaded her nose.

" I don't believe I've introduced myself. I'm Lailah."She introduced herself as she looked over at him.

"It's a pleasure to meet you,Lailah. As you know,I'm Elijah."

"Thank you again for letting me stay here."Lailah said as she curled up on the couch.

"It was the least I could do. You were injured and I didn't think it was right to leave you there."Elijah answered,setting his book down and turning to the girl at his side."I'm assuming you were there with Elena though I don't quite understand why she left you."

"I'm not entirely sure why they didn't think to help but I guess she thought I was dead. She doesn't know I'm a wolf and that wound would have killed a human."She answered with a shrug,her eyes turning golden as the thought angered her once more.

"How do you do that?"He questioned,his brown eyes trained on her golden eyes as they faded once more to leave her emerald eyes behind.

"What do you mean?"She asked in confusion,leaning her head on her hand as she rested her arm on the back of the couch.

"Your eyes. It's not a full moon and wolves can't shift without one."

"Well I'm a bit new to being a werewolf but I know we can shift whenever we want and while the full moon is annoying,we can resist its pull."She explained.

"But that's impossible. My village was plagued with wolves before I was changed and they could only shift on full moons. They were rather large and vicious wolves that terrorized us with no sign of control."Elijah answered,frowning in confusion as looked over at Lailah as though she held all the answers.

"As far as I know,we can't shift into wolves and my guess is even if we could,it would be very rare. I doubt there would be that many in one area but that was about 1000 years ago anyways."She answered,she too struggling to understand why the werewolves she knew were different than those Elijah was familiar with.

"Maybe it's like a virus and the gene mutated resulting in my kind of werewolves."She thought aloud before letting out a laugh."That sounded a lot less stupid in my head."

"No,that makes sense."Elijah reassured.

"It does?"She asked with soft smile and a raised eyebrow as she stared at Elijah.

"Well in a sense yes. Perhaps your kind of werewolves are a product of a spell gone awry on a werewolf in hopes of curing them."

"So tell me more about these werewolves."She asked,intrigued about the other kind of werewolves and why both of the vampires seemed surprised to see one.

"Well from what I know,the werewolves are rare and the shift is excruciatingly painful,only triggered by the full moon. They have enhanced senses and wolfsbane hurts them. Also their bite harms vampires."

"Do you have enhanced senses as well?"She asked curiously.

"Yes as well as speed and increased strength."He answered.

"Well the only differences between us is that we only half-shift and it isn't painful and that we can control the urge to shift on a full moon."

"How is it you're able to do that?"

"Well I have yet to experience my first full moon but from what I gathered from Derek,we use an anchor of sorts to focus on and it helps us retain the human part of us."

"Who's Derek?"

"My Alpha, or at least he was until I left my pack."

"Why would you do that? From what I understand,werewolves are very much pack dependent."Elijah answered in confusion,his dark brown eyes darkening in confusion at the prospect of such a pack animal willingly leaving behind their pack.

"My family needed me here and Derek wanted me there. I chose my family,they're the only family I have. I may see the pack as family but I will always stand beside my family."She answered despondently,knowing just how terrible it was to be an omega in Beacon Hills.

"Always and forever."Elijah muttered after her words.

"What?"She asked,hearing the words with her sensitive hearing.

"It was something my sister would say to our brothers as a way to reinforce our sibling bond. Always and forever."A rather sad shadow settled over Elijah's face as he spoke of his sister and his other siblings.

"Where are your other siblings?"She questioned gently.

"Stuffed in coffins with a dagger through their hearts. Courtesy of my brother Niklaus."Elijah replied,his jaw stiffening at the thought of his siblings lying in coffins.

"I'm sorry to have brought them up. How about we talk about something else? Like do you have anything to drink in this house to drink besides alcohol or blood and maybe some candles? No offense to you but you kind of smell like death and it's going to take some getting used to."Lailah said as she gave his arm a reassuring squeeze before getting up with a bright smile and heading to the kitchen.

"I think we have something in the fridge."Elijah said as he too got up and followed behind the brunette,slightly intrigued by her analysis of his scent. Lailah opened the rather bare fridge and after rifling through it for a second,retrieved a carton of orange juice. Placing the juice on the counter,she kicked the door closed and began to search through the cabinets for a cup. She turned to go look on the other side of the kitchen and was met with a suit clad chest who was holding a cup.

"Thanks."She said with a soft laugh as she took the cup and filled it. Once she had returned the carton its place in the fridge,she turned her attention back to Elijah as he patiently watched her from afar.

"So why have you come to Mystic Falls? I know this town is full of vampires and witches,but you don't seem the type to be concerned about minor indiscretions of this town."She asked curiously,raising an eyebrow as she sipped the juice.

"Well,it seems the vampires of this town have drawn the attention of my brother Niklaus and your friend Elena is what he has been searching for for hundreds of years. It is only a matter of time till my brother learns of her existence and when he does,there will be nothing stopping him from getting what he wants."Elijah replied with a sigh.

"Why is he so bent on finding Elena?What is it he wants from her?"

"My brother Niklaus isn't simply just a our mother turned us into vampires,she hadn't realized what he was. We all went on our first kills but when Klaus killed he turned into something else. A hybrid. He was the product of our mother's secret affair with an alpha werewolf of the nearby pack years earlier and killing the human triggered his curse. Our father in his anger,forced our mother to bind Klaus' werewolf side. The only way to undo the spell is to perform another ritual. One thing he needs is the blood of a doppelganger."

"Is Elena the only doppelganger or are there others?"

"Elena is the only human doppelganger we are aware of. Her line of doppelgangers was created as a way to undo the spell. Nature's way to control the balance of magic."

"So,she's pretty much destined to die?"Lailah clarified with a heavy sigh,finishing her drink and setting it down on the counter.

"Well your friends seem to think there is something to be done to save her but when Klaus comes here,there is nothing to stop him from taking her. I had hoped to take her and place her somewhere safe so that he may never find her."

"Don't you want your brother to complete the ritual?"She questioned with a frown,leaning against the counter.

"Niklaus has caused so much destruction throughout our lives and yet my siblings and I have stood by and allowed it to happen. After him daggering our siblings and hiding their coffins from me,he has broken those boundaries and it is time his reign of terror was put to rest."

"Are you going to kill him?"Lailah asked softly,trying to understand why the kindhearted Elijah was going to kill his own brother.

"Yes. I can't let him take anymore lives than he already has."Elijah answered,his posture stiffening as he spoke. His brown eyes held a heaviness to them as though he was trying to convince himself that what he was doing was for the best.

"I just don't understand why anyone is preventing him from accessing his true identity. He has a right to know who he is meant to be but has been wrongfully denied this for a thousand years."She answered gently,trying to get him to see things from his brother's point of view.

"It doesn't excuse all his actions over the years."Elijah said with a stern glare.

"I know it doesn't and I'm not saying all his actions should be pushed aside but I think that perhaps he isn't the monster you say he is. Maybe he's simply searching for an identity and he's lost his way."She replied with a calm tone,keeping her gaze on the vampire. Her mind mulled over the information Elijah had given her about his brother Niklaus and she couldn't help but compare to Jackson. Both were searching for who they really were and had lost their place in this world,resulting in the deaths of others.

Granted Jackson unknowingly killed while Klaus was fully aware of what was happening,she hoped both of them could be saved despite their past and actions.

"I'm simply saying that he might be looking for someone to care for him unconditionally. In a way,looking for a friend. Think about that before you rush off to kill your brother."She stated with a soft smile,before heading past him to grab her phone and make a few phone calls. It was at that moment she was glad for placing her phone in her bra instead of in her clutch,wiping away some blood from it with her already ruined dress before scanning through her missed calls and texts. Most were from Tyler and a couple were from Caroline,but one name caught her eye and she frowned at the odd sight of it. Issac had called while she was unconscious and she wondered why he had done so when they were dealing with the hunters and Jackson as the Kanima.

Dialing the number,she waited patiently for her fellow beta to answer his phone. Hearing his voice on the other line,she couldn't help the bittersweet smile forming on her lips as she thought of the pack she had left back in Beacon Hills.

"Hello?"Issac asked.

"Hey stranger."Lailah answered playfully.

"Lailah."Issac said with a brighter tone and a hint of relief to his voice.

"So is there a reason you called me earlier? I would have answered but I was...preoccupied."

"Well I mainly wanted to keep you up to date on what was happening here in Beacon Hills."

"Oh,well thank you."Lailah answered,surprised that Issac was still willing to let her in the loop of things despite her leaving the pack.

"No problem. Anyways,we found out that Jackson has a person controlling him that is telling him to kill these people. It's what killed my father and though he deserved it,it still hurts sometimes to think that my dad's gone."

"I'm sorry Issac but hey you've always got me by your side no matter what."She promised,feeling Elijah's gaze on her as she spoke to her packmate.

"Thanks Lailah."Issac answered with a chuckle and she could only imagine the smirk he wore on his lips.

"On top of that,Derek has been pushing us more than usual. He's determined to kill Jackson while Scott wants to save him. Also it seems that Derek had an uncle that came back from the dead."Issac continued,saying everything casually as though everything he said happened just about everyday. Though she supposed it was considered normal for Beacon Hills with all the recent supernatural activity that had occurred there.

"Do you guys know who the master is?"She asked,taking a seat on the couch and curling her legs underneath her to get comfortable.

"Yeah,we found out it was a new guy named Matt. We're not sure why he's killing people but at least we know who it is."

"Well what about Jackson? How are we going to help him?"

"Another we're not sure on. Scott thinks we can save him while Derek is pretty dead set on killing him."

Lailah sighed heavily,already knowing that he tended to be impulsive and stubborn."Well that's Derek. He's not big on emotion and to him Jackson is just another supernatural casualty."

"Yeah, but I think he's just stressing about the Argents."Issac defended their alpha weakly.

"There can't be that many of them left though. Last time I checked,Allison was on our side as well."

"About that,her mom's dead and she thinks that Derek and Scott were the ones who killed her. Apparently,the argent's have a code stating that If they turn,they have to kill themselves. So,now she's working alongside Gerard,who is her grandfather, is pretty much set on killing all werewolves and has declared a genocide of them."

"I'll be glad when he's dead,he can be with his bitch of a daughter."Lailah snapped angrily,her eyes narrowing as she thought of someone threatening her pack.

"I think we'll all be able to sleep better once he's dead."Issac murmured in agreement.

"So is there anything in the bestiary about helping Jackson?"She asked curiously.

"Well as far as we can see no but then again none of us are fluent in archaic latin."Still feeling Elijah's curious gaze on her,she turned to look at him with a soft smile. As she was looking at him,she realized that perhaps Elijah could understand Latin seeing as how he'd been around for a 1,000 years.

"Could you by any chance email me the bestiary? I think I know someone who could help translate it."

"What kind of people do they have in Mystic Falls?"He joked from the other end.

"You have no ,I need to do some things here and you need to email me that bestiary. I'll talk to you later,okay?"

"Yeah,that's fine. Bye."The two betas hung up and Lailah let out a sigh of annoyance as she ran through the newly gathered information in her head.

"You wouldn't happen to know Latin,would you?"She asked after a moment of silence,turning her attention to the original vampire who leaned against the wall not far from the couch.

"I know some,but it's been long since I've had to use it. Why are you interested in me translating book for you?"Elijah asked curiously.

"Were you listening to my conversation?"Lailah asked with a raised eyebrow,though her teasing smile let him know she wasn't upset about his eavesdropping.

"Well,I will admit I listened in when you reacted with such anger. If you don't mind me asking,what is it that made you so angry?"Elijah gently inquired,speaking cautiously as though she would turn her anger on him for asking.

"Hunters. A certain family has declared war on my pack and any other werewolves."Lailah could barely contain her anger toward Gerard and his hunters as she thought about his threat but after focusing for a few moments,she was able to reign in the rage.

"Will you be returning to help?"He questioned.

"No,I wish I could but I need to stay here for Tyler's sake. His mother and I are all he has,they're all I have. Mason left him but I won't do the same to him. He doesn't deserve that."

"Is he your cousin?"

"Yes. His father recently died and then our uncle Mason fled not long after,but I never expected anything else from him. I may be younger than Tyler by a year but I've always looked out for him and that's never going to change."

"You remind me much of my sister Rebekah. She acts the same way with our brother Klaus."

"Then she understands the meaning of family."Lailah answered softly,crossing her arms across her chest. The two settled into an awkward silence as neither could think of the words to say after the conversation. Finally,Elijah's phone rang and he stood to take it with a serious face. Lailah's eyes followed him with curiosity and she let her ears tune into the conversation,despite the obvious invasion of privacy.

"Yes, I understand."Elijah spoke into the phone just as she focused on the other voice.

"I found Rose with another vampire in a little café on Chandler's street in a couple towns over. They're talking to a vampire who goes by Slater."

"I know who he is,he contacted me not long ago and helped me find the doppelganger. Thank you for your help Jonas."

"It's the least I can do Elijah. I'll call you if there's anything else."The voice now identified as Jonas said before she heard the distinct click of the phone call ending. Her green eyes drifted over to where Elijah stood as he grabbed his coat and started towards the door.

"Elijah,are you going somewhere?"She asked to catch his attention before he left,standing and heading over toward him.

"Yes,I'm needed elsewhere to take care of some unfinished business."He answered,shrugging on his suit jacket.

"Do you think that you could maybe drop me off at my house? I'd like to pick up my things for my stay here and grab my car."Lailah said with a shrug as she leaned against the wall,her arms crossed in front of her.

"You can take the car and I'll simply run there."He answered after a moment of thought,reaching into his pocket and handing her the keys.

"Thank you."She said with a smile,taking the keys and turning away to grab her phone before she headed out to the car. Turning around,she opened her mouth to say something to Elijah but found he had already disappeared from the house and was off on his own mission. With a sigh,she slipped her heels on and walked out to the car. After a short drive,she was in front of the familiar Lockwood mansion and she took a moment to gaze around before she stepped out of the car. Listening to her surroundings,she ran toward her room and saw with a breath of relief a rather convenient tree that grew beside her side of the house.

Eyeing the situation closely,she began to climb the tree after slipping her heels off and holding them in her hand. The rough bark of the tree allowed for an easy hold and made the climb easier for her despite the awkwardness of her situation. She finally made it to her window and opened it before she threw her shoes inside. Making sure she had a good foothold on the bark,she propelled herself forward and into her room with a thud as she face planted against the carpet floor.

'This could have gone a lot better.' She thought to herself as she picked herself up off the ground.


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter 7

 **A/N:Thank you for all the favorites,follows and reviews. I'm glad you all like the 's more of a stress relief for me to write,so if I can write a nice story for you all to enjoy,than I'm happy to. Also,so sorry about the long delay and how it's kind of short. Lots of things came up and gave me a bit of writer's block.**

Lailah brushed a few clinging strands of dark brown hair away from her face,letting out a sigh as she looked toward the open window and the tree she had just scaled to get inside. She was startled out of her thoughts by her door being thrown open by a wide eyed Tyler,who looked down at her in surprise,his eyes glancing down at her attire in shock.

"You seriously tried to sneak into the house after hooking up with some guy?For three days!?"Tyler asked,his shocked expression morphing into a angered one,his arms crossed across his chest.

"Tyler,I wasn't hooking up with anyone."She said defensively, a blush staining her tan cheeks pink as she got up from the floor.

"Oh really. Then you just happen to arrive home through the window clothed in only a guy's shirt. Because that's completely normal."Tyler answered,eyeing her in disbelief.

"Okay,I know it looks strange but I was staying at a friend's house. My dress got ruined so he gave me his shirt to wear,nothing else to it. Oh and I'll be staying with said friend for a few days."Walking toward her closet,she pulled out her suitcase and placed it on the bed.

"You think I'm going to believe you when you say it's nothing between you two when you're going off to stay with some strange friend,who I've never met after being gone for three days."Tyler questioned angrily,a hurt and disappointed look in his brown eyes as he watched his cousin begin to pack her things. Lailah sighed heavily,halting her packing and setting the folded shirt in her hand on the bed before she pivoted on her heels to look at Tyler.

"I'm not leaving like Mason did,I'm always going to be there for you."Lailah said softly as she walked over to him,placing a reassuring hand on his broad shoulder. Her green eyes watched him carefully,silently pleading for him to understand,not being able to watch her older cousin be angry with her. Tyler remained silent though she could see his eyes softening at her gentle words.

"I will be going away for a few days but I promise to keep in touch. I'll be back before you even know I'm gone."She promised with a reassuring smile and a playful squeeze of his bicep. Walking back to her open suitcase,she picked up the folded clothes and returned to her packing.

"Just please be careful."Tyler relented after a few moments of tense silence between the two.

"I will,I promise."Lailah answered,a warm smile on her lips as she zipped the suitcase and set it on the floor. She sighed at the sight of her cousin,his arms crossed and his displeasure with her actions apparent on his face. Walking forward,she brought him into a hug and felt his tense muscles relax as he gave in and returned her affection. "I won't be gone long and I'll call every single day. I know you're worried about me Tyler,but I can handle myself."

"I know you can but you're like my little sister and as your honorary big brother,it's my job to protect you."He said with a gentle smile.

"Thank you for being there. I mean it,you and aunt Carol are all I have and I don't plan on losing that any time soon."She said,with teary eyes as she pulled back from the hug and grabbed her suitcase from the floor."Could you bring this downstairs and set it by the door? I'm going to change into something a little more appropriate." Tyler gave a soft smile before doing as was asked and bringing her suitcase downstairs. In the meantime,Lailah took out an emerald green,spaghetti strap blouse and some leather leggings to pair together as her outfit for today. Slipping on her shoes and jacket,she headed downstairs to meet Tyler by the door.

"Bye,Tyler. You take care of yourself and Aunt Carol,okay?"Lailah said with a gentle smile,concern evident in her green eyes.

"I promise Lailah. Now go before I change my mind."He answered with a playful smile. Lailah chuckled softly at his reply,bringing him into a tight hug once more before she released him and grabbed her bag from the floor. With one last glance back at her cousin,she departed from the family home and headed toward the parked car for her journey back to Elijah's. On the drive there,she thought about the decisions that had led her to be staying with a vampire in a town that rivaled Beacon Hills in supernatural creatures present. It was a great change to be able to freely show her werewolf side when around Elijah instead of having to hide that side of her while around her family and friends.

Finding the house,she parked Elijah's car in front and turned off the ignition. Sitting there,she took a moment to gaze around at the home before getting out and grabbing her things. Walking into the house,she was surprised to find the same man from last night speaking with Elijah in the living room.

"So,how was your visit?'She asked Elijah with a small smile,setting her bag on the couch.

"It went well."Elijah answered,his features calm though his eyes held surprise at her words.

"Well that's good. What is it you are planning to do next?'Lailah questioned curiously,the hint of a sly smile on her lips as she watched the men.

"Elijah,I agreed to work with you for my family's sake,but I never agreed to trust another vampire as well."The man said with a hardened face as he eyed Lailah.

"This girl is an associate of mine and when you agreed to work with me,you agreed to help anyone I tell you to."Elijah said with a calm tone though his eyes dared the man to question him. Seeing the silent warning in his eyes,the stranger decided to let it go and instead of pressing on the issue.

"You going to introduce me Elijah?"She asked teasingly,enjoying making the human squirm under her gaze.

"This is Jonas,a warlock who is helping me and Jonas this is Lailah."Elijah responded smoothly,seemingly unaffected by the tension in the room between the three,

"Now that that's over,what is it you have planned?'She asked Elijah,her posture changing to a more confident one. The wolf side of her relished in the feeling of confidence and power it gave her when Jonas avoided her gaze. She was hoping Elijah was planning on seeing Elena and she could get some revenge on the brunette that had left her for dead.

"I was thinking of paying a visit to the vampire named Slater,he is close to both Rose and Elena. I;m going to make an example out of him,letting them know I do not take kindly to people betraying me and that I will get Elena no matter what they try."He answered,fixing the cuffs of his suit jacket before gesturing for the three of them to leave. Lailah nodded and headed toward the door with the two men staying to speak in private about the plan that needed Jonas' magic. Before Lailah could disappear from sight,she stopped short when a thought hit her.

"Oh and Jonas,not a vampire."Lailah said over her shoulder with a predatory smile curving her lips as she made eye contact with him. With that said,the she-wolf opened the door and headed out into the fresh air to wait for the two men to join her. A few minutes later,Jonas and Elijah stepped out of the house and headed towards where she leant against the car.

"So,how are we going to get there?Car or run?"She asked teasingly,when she caught sight of them.

"I imagine it would be preferable to use the car rather than run there,but if you would like I can take Jonas there and you can follow along."Elijah answered,seeming to completely overlook the teasing tone she had used.

With a sigh,Lailah approached Elijah with a soft smile and gently patted his shoulder."Elijah,I was 're going to drive.I'm fast but not vampire fast."

"Well alright,it's settled."Elijah answered,walking toward the car with a nod of his head toward her. Lailah shook her head in disbelief at his gentlemanly attitude before slipping into the passenger's side of the car. It was a while before they arrived at what she assumed was Slater's home and parked there. Elijah got out of the car first,fixing his suit jacket and cuffs as he waited for the others in the car to join him on the doorstep. Without knocking,Elijah marched into the house,catching the lone vampire inside by surprise.

"Eli-Elijah. Wha-What are you doing here?"Slater stumbled over his words as he gazed at the older vampire in panic,his eyes widening alarmingly. Lailah stayed near the door as she watched the interaction between the original and the younger vampire. Her nose crinkled in distaste as she caught scent of the fear that oozed off of him,finding the sudden barrage of strong emotions uncomfortable.

"I have come to sort out some business concerning Rose and Elena. You seem to be the only thing that can get me through to them."Elijah replied with a sigh.

"Me? Um,if you would like I can probably tell them something but I really don't understand why you can't just see them yourself."

"They seem to like you better and I figure this message will be more meaningful coming from you than me."

"Alright,what's the message?"

"Call Rose and tell her that she needs the moonstone to break the curse with the help of a witch."

"But I thought the curse wasn't real."

"It may or may not be but I need them to take that moonstone to a witch. So,do as I say."Elijah said warningly,motioning for Slater to pick up the phone.

"Rose?"Slater asked tentatively after a few moments had passed.

"Yes, I took off, I'm sorry, I was freaking freaked."

"Look, I want no part in any of this but I did some digging."

"You can destroy the curse but you need the moonstone."

"Can your friend get the moonstone? You need it."

As Slater talked on the phone with Rose,Lailah tuned out the conversation and instead took a moment to gaze around the loft in admiration. Finding there was nothing interesting in the room,she turned her attention back to Slater as he ended the call.

"Very nicely done."Elijah said with a nod.

"Thanks, I have a degree in theater. How can you compel me? A vampire can't compel another vampire."Slater answered,his confusion mixing with alarm.

"I'm a special vampire."

"What,because you're an Original?"

"Hmm,now I want you to take this and drive it through your heart."Elijah said,handing Slater a wooden stake he held in his hand.

"But that would kill me forever."Slater said as he obediently took the stake from his hand and looked down at it.

"I know."Elijah answered,once more staring into his eyes as though he was putting Slater into a trance."But it's necessary." We watched as the younger vampire drove the stake through his heart and his graying corpse fell to the floor lifelessly.

"Was it,really?"Jonas asked as he rejoined the pair in the room.

"It had to be done. He delivered the message. Won't be long now."Elijah answered,looking up from the body to make eye contact with Jonas. Lailah avoided looking at the corpse,swallowing thickly as she tried to come to terms with the first death she had ever seen. With a heavy sigh,she looked over at Jonas' face.

"He's right. From what I gathered,the Salvatore brothers have the moonstone but they won't let Elena anywhere near it. But if they get the message that Elijah is willing to kill to get what he needs,Elena will want to talk."She said,seeing the doubt on Jonas' face.


	8. Chapter 8

**Chapter 8**

 **A/N:Very sorry about the delay,had to deal with some personal issues and it didn't help my writer's block since then,my creativity has luckily again i'm very sorry about being gone for so long without an another note I have other ideas swirling around in my head for a Teen Wolf/Twilight fanfic and a Teen Wolf/Originals fanfic.**

After Slater's death,Jonas left the vampire and werewolf to do what they needed while he went to see his son. Lailah was a bit startled by her first death but was forcing herself to think more about the plan and what was to come next.

"So,what is it you have planned next?"Lailah asked Elijah, her eyes still trained on the staked corpse at their feet.

"Now we wait. Elena is bound to come back here in her curiosity and when she does, she will find my warning."He replied, straightening out his suit before he turned from the graying body and headed toward the door. The young werewolf followed behind the vampire, taking one more glance to the dead vampire in the center of the room before heading out to the car where Elijah waited.

"So I'm assuming you wanted to make a big entrance when she falls for the bait. When will I be able to get my little revenge on Elena and her two vampire boyfriends?"She asked him, turning to look at him with a devilish smirk curled on her lips.

"When I have her full cooperation, then you may proceed with your revenge though I do caution restraint."The old vampire told her politely, noticing the anger burning in her pupils as she mentioned Elena.

"Oh, I won't kill her. As for the other two, I make no promises."She answered, ducking into the car's driver's seat.

"Are your species known for their drive for revenge?"He questioned, observing her reactions and how she had a certain drive for revenge against Elena's betrayal.

"I'm not quite sure. I do know we have some serious anger problems, so I guess that contributes to the need for vengeance. It's the wolf inside of us that urges us to put those we feel are weaker than us in their place. That is why I want Elena to pay."Lailah answered thoughtfully, a slight growl leaving her lips as she spoke of the girl who left her to die. She started the car and headed to Elijah's once more, a silence settling between the two as she drove, though she could sense there was something on Elijah's mind that was worrying him. She decided not to comment on the observation, assuming he didn't want her to know or else he would have said something. Upon arrival at the house, she headed up to the spare bedroom to call Tyler just as she promised.

"Hey, Ty."She said as he answered, her earlier anger dissipating as she heard her cousin's her pack and family meant everything, they were her world.

"Hey, Lai. How are you?"He asked with a warm tone, though she could tell there was something distracting him.

"You okay Tyler? You sound a little bit off."She asked, a hint of worry evident in her tone.

"Yeah, just missing my favorite cousin."Tyler answered, but she could hear the slightest jump in his heartbeat over the phone, indicating he was lying.

"Alright, and I'm doing okay, enjoying my time with my friend."She knew he was lying but she couldn't very well tell him she knew this because she could hear his heartbeat.

"Well that's good...I have to go now but make sure to call me tomorrow."

"I will. Love you."

"Love you too, bye."After hanging up the phone, she changed her clothes and left the room to grab a mug of tea that she hoped would help ease the tension within her. Spotting Elijah on the couch, she sent him a slight smile before continuing toward her intended destination for some much needed tea. Warming the water in the microwave, she leaned against the counter for it to finish when her sensitive ears caught sound of her phone ringing upstairs. Jogging into her room, she answered the caller before it could go to voicemail.

"Hello?"She greeted the caller after not having bothered to look at the caller ID.

"Is that any way to greet your pack?"She heard a familiar voice answer, causing a grin to form on her face.

"Issac! How's my favorite beta?"Lailah asked playfully, excited and relieved to hear from her packmate.

"I'm doing okay. We all are."He answered plainly, but she could hear the skip of his heart and the slight waver in his voice.

"No, you're not."She answered with a gentle worry as she wondered what was happening to her pack back home.

"Lailah, really everything is fi-"Issac tried to say before Lailah interrupted his hurried excuse.

"Don't you dare lie to me Lahey."She sharply told him, not in the mood to deal with excuses after the past few days.

"How in the world did you know that I was lying anyways Lockwood."Issac asked curiously.

"I'm just that good. That and I could hear your heart."She answered with soft smile.

"I swear your senses are better than any of ours."He mumbled to himself.

"Well thank you."She said with a cocky smile.

"See what I mean!"Issac exclaimed in exasperation."Anyways, I called to let you know how we were fairing here in Beacon Hills. We finally found who was controlling the kanima."

"Don't leave me in suspense. Tell me."

"It's Matt."

"Who?"She questioned in confusion, assuming the master of the Kanima was going to at least be someone she knew of and be some big reveal but she was sadly disappointed.

"Some kid at Beacon Hills high who has some vendetta against the Beacon Hills swim team from a few years ago after they apparently accidentally drowned him."

"Anything else that I should know about that is happening."She asked, a little surprised about the kid's motive for the murders.

"Well,Scott's mother now knows about him being a werewolf after Matt took Scott,Scott's mom, Stiles, the Sheriff and Derek hostage in the Police station. Um, and Gerard is already killing Omegas around us."He answered her, a heaviness to his voice that Lailah could detect with her well trained ears.

"I haven't even been gone that long and look at all the trouble you guys have managed to get yourselves in."She said with a slight laugh, trying to lighten the mood though it was strained by her worry.

"I know,we're trying."Issac answered back,recognizing the worry she had for all them.

"Be careful alright."Lailah said, no longer able to contain the crack in her voice that betrayed her fears for her pack.

"We will. I've gotta go but I'll you soon. And I think it'd be best you called Erica. You are her best friend."

"I will ."Lailah said,needing to hear her best friend's voice to make sure she was still two had promised to be there for each other no matter what happened and even if she couldn't physically be there,she wasn't going to let Erica go through this alone. She was her pack and her best friend,if something happened to her that she could have prevented,she wasn't sure she could live with herself.

"Bye."The call was disconnected and she set her phone down beside her as she thought about the new news she'd received. She longed to protect her family from the dangers of the hunters but she was miles away from them and could do nothing. Tears pricked the corners of her eyes as her frustration grew at the feeling of helplessness that rose within her. Leaping up from her bed, she angrily wiped away the few tears that had managed to escape and hurried downstairs to find Elijah. Upon seeing her, Elijah raised a single eyebrow in curiosity, her cup of tea in his hands.

"I want you to teach me how to fight."She said determinedly.

"Lailah, if you aren't in the right state of mind then I'm not sure it is a good idea."He answered, his voice calm as he stared at the frustrated werewolf in front of him.

"I feel powerless right now and I never want to feel this again. I may be a werewolf but I can't help anyone if I don't know how to fight. I won't be in the background anymore. If I want to help my pack and my family, then I need to know how to fight and how to kill."Lailah bit back, a fire burning in her eyes as she thought of the people who had threatened those she loved and how she wanted nothing more than to make them pay.

"I understand."He responded, recognizing the fighting spirit in her that reminded him a bit of Kol and Rebekah."We will begin tomorrow."

Lailah's eyes softened slightly and she nodded her thanks before taking the cup from his hand and heading back up to her the tea on her bedside table, she shut off her lights and settled into bed in hopes of getting some rest despite the worries and fears that were running through her ,she fell asleep though it wasn't as relaxing as she had hoped.


	9. Chapter 9

**Chapter 9**

 **A/N: Very sorry about the delay. I was trying to update regularly but obviously that fell through. My creativity hasn't been up to par these last few months so I apologize for last chapter, it definitely didn't turn out how I wanted. But thank you for those of you, who have shown me so much support. I have finally decided I will probably begin a couple new stories. One of which is a crossover between Teen wolf/The Originals centered around Serena a werejaguar and her boyfriend Deputy Jordan Parrish(I love Parrish so much!) when they go to visit some friends of Serena's in New I could spin this story with Aria, a werejaguar who falls for Lucien while visiting New Orleans. These will take place in Season 5 of Teen Wolf, a little before the conclusion of 5B and in Season 3 of The Originals. The next story is going to be a Teen wolf story about Josh Diaz and Vera a yet to be determined supernatural creature. I'll probably create an Author's note to go into further detail on these stories but in the meantime I would love to hear your feedback in the comments!**

Disclaimer: Don't own anything but the plot and Lailah.

The next morning Lailah opened her eyes to look over at sunlight streaming through her windows. Her thoughts drifted to the conversation she had with Issac last night and a heavy sigh escaped her lips. She pursed her mouth in thought, her nails unknowingly digging into her palms when she mulled over the news. It pained her to be so far from her pack when they needed her most but she also had her obligations to her family, especially Tyler. A sensation of water running down her arm brought her back to reality and her eyes lowered to her arm in was when she caught sight of the red liquid did she notice the pin-pricks of pain in her palm and she slowly uncurled her fists to withdraw her claws from the flesh of her hand.

Rushing from her room to the bathroom, she tried not to drip the scarlet liquid on the floor or on her by the time she reached the bathroom, there were droplets of blood sprinkled along her magenta tank-top. Rinsing off her palms in the porcelain sink, she wasn't surprised to hear Elijah coming up the stairs to check on her. The smell of her blood was permeating the air and though her wounds had already healed, the scent would draw the vampire to her. Her ears caught the sound of the tell-tale whoosh and she turned to look at Elijah with a reassuring smile.

"Are you alright Lailah.I could smell your blood from downstairs."Elijah asked in concern, stepping forward to help her though she waved him off.

"I'm perfectly fine Elijah. I was a little angry this morning and my nails dug into my hands. It's healed now."She replied, raising her now clean hands to show him the smooth unblemished skin of her palm.

"I'm glad you are well."He answered, nodding to her. "As for your request from last night, I believe we can begin in 30 minutes."

"Are we going to be training here or somewhere else?"She asked curiously, drying her hands off on a towel.

"I think the forest should suffice for now."Elijah replied once more, adjusting his tie on his suit as he stepped aside to let her through.

"Well, let me get changed and we can head out."Lailah hurried back to her room and rifled through her clothes. After a few minutes of indecisiveness, she settled on a thin t-shirt with a sports bra underneath and leggings. She headed downstairs, her brown hair curling around her shoulders and providing a bit of modesty to her attire.

"I'm ready when you are."She said, drawing attention to herself as she descended the stairs. Elijah turned to her and for a moment he stared at the wolf in front of him, before clearing his throat and turning away from her. His staring hadn't gone unnoticed by Lailah and she felt a small smirk curve on her lips. She now understood the confidence being a werewolf provided and how it changes a person in all aspects, attracting attention to the owner. She was well aware of the affect she had on those around her but hadn't expected her charm to influence Elijah as well seeing as the old vampire had no doubt seen his share of beautiful women in his lifetime.

"We shall leave right now and get started on your training before we receive any interruptions."He answered, fixing his cufflinks and heading toward the door with Lailah in tow. Their trek toward the forest was filled with idle conversation to fill the silence between them until they finally reached the spot in the forest Elijah had picked for their training sessions.

"So, what would you like to start with?"Lailah asked curiously, stretching her arms and legs before they started.

"I assume you understand the basics of fighting, so we will begin with taking down an opponent."He answered, taking off his suit jacket and folding it over his arm before he gently laid it over a tree branch. Suddenly, Elijah advanced toward her, his body forcing hers into the tree rather harshly with his hands around her neck.

"First lesson, always be on your guard. An opponent won't wait for you to be prepared, so you must be ready to surprise them at any moment."He instructed, still keeping his firm grip on her.

"Like this?"She asked with a sly smile, gripping his forearms and sending her knee into his shoved his back into a nearby tree and pressed her forearm against his throat.

"Better."He replied with chuckle. "Now throw a proper punch at me." The two put some distance between themselves and shifted into fighting stances. The young wolf waited a few beats before she curled her hand into a fist and swiftly swung it at Elijah's cheek, but he blocked it seconds after.

"As a devout feminist, I refuse to say that you hit like a girl."He said with a smirk and Laliah swung a few more punches only to find them blocked once more by her mentor."Let's try this again, shall we."

With a growl of frustration, she spun and threw a couple punches in a row, only to find they too were blocked by his speed.

"Fighting is rhythm. There is a music, there is a meter, there is a pattern. Let that rhythm beat within you."He answered through the fighting, his usual calm exterior on his face once more in place though she could see that her persistence was admired by him. After a moment to mull over his words, she struck at him a few more times but was met with an arm or a hand on every move.

"Legato."Another hit aimed at his head."Ostinato."A kick thrown at his ribs and a elbow aimed at his temple."Crescendo."A kick and punch thrown one right after the other, yet she was still met with his block and his arms wrapping around her to restrain her."And then, once you've established your cadence-"Lailah used his momentary distraction to her advantage and hit his arms away from her, sending him stumbling. With a well aimed kick at his stomach, she managed to pin him to the tree.

"You change it up, catch them by surprise."She replied with a smirk, her eyes glowing a bright yellow though she still maintained control.

"Very good."He replied with a smile."Now the head or the heart?" Lailah felt herself hesitating at the thought of knew she would need to in this town but for a werewolf, killing someone changed you forever. It didn't just change your eye color but it also took part of your heart with it.

"None of this matters if you cannot make the kill."He replied, though she could see his eyes soften slightly at her internal debate.

"That's a lot easier said then done Elijah. It may be easier for a vampire to kill someone, but to my kind it means so much more. When a werewolf kills, their eyes turn a bright blue. It sort of serves as a reminder of what they've done and how part of them will never recover from that. So, what if I can't do it?"She asked, frustration heavy in her tone as she looked up at him with worried green eyes.

"I am deeply sorry that you will have to deal with that, but you will kill to survive. Now, the head or the heart?"

"The heart."She finally answered, letting her claws scrape lightly against his shirt."But if I want to subdue a vampire, what would I do?"Lailah pulled back from Elijah and put some distance between them, restraining her wolf and shifting back to her normal form.

"You could snap their necks or put a piece of wood through any part of their body but their heart. This will only injure a vampire, not kill them."

"Thank you for the help, Elijah. I appreciate It."

"It is my pleasure to help. Being a wolf in this town, many will view you as an easy target. It is important you know how to defend yourself against them if they do choose to attack you."

"Let's go again. I'm just getting started."She said with a chuckle, moving into a fighting position once more. The two continued training for a little while longer, until Elijah's phone went off and the vampire flashed over to his jacket that hung on the branch. With a sigh and pursed lips, he turned back toward Lailah as she practiced her form while he attended to whatever emergency his phone had signaled.

"Let me guess, an emergency concerning the one and only drama queen, Gilbert."She said with a sarcastic smile, pivoting on the balls of her feet to face Elijah. The sigh he gave was a tell-tale sign of his annoyance and she was very well aware of the fact that his most recent inconvenience was none other than Elena.

"Not quite, Jonas has a spell to find Elena. I'm sorry to run off like this but it is important I find her before she decides to do something foolish."Elijah replies, tensely grabbing his jacket and slipping it on.

"No, I understand. I'll probably go for a run and maybe visit Tyler before I return back to the apartment."With a nod in his direction, she took off into the woods at a steady pace. It was faster than a humans but nowhere near the speed of a vampire. She was enjoying the feel of the wind along her skin and the sounds of nature around her as she ran. A sudden noise startled her from her trance and she stopped her run, taking a minute to observe her surroundings with her heightened senses. Her eyes caught a blur nearby and she waited till the person was within sprinting distance before she grabbed a hold of them and slammed them into a tree. She saw it was the girl who had kidnapped her and could barely contain the growl that threatened to escape her in her anger.

"You. I thought you were dead."The vampire said in surprise, her eyes widening as she took in the sight of the girl in front of her.

"Well clearly I'm not. No thanks to you."Lailah answered with glare, gripping Rose's shoulders tightly as she felt herself growing angrier.

"I'm not the one who stabbed you."Rose replied, wincing in pain as she felt her bones begin to shatter under Lailah's hands.

"No, but you didn't help either."Finding she might shift if she continued talking with the vampire, she took her head in her hands and snapped her neck. Stepping back from the limp body, she managed to reign in her anger and resist shifting in the middle of the forest. After making sure no one else was present to witness the sight of Rose's temporarily dead body. She began the run back to Elijah's, this time not taking the time to enjoy the run as she had before. Upon arrival at her temporary home, she took a moment to catch her breath and then entered to find Elijah sitting and reading.

"I take it your run was satisfying."He said as he caught sight of her entering the apartment, her heartbeat slightly elevated.

"You could say that. I had a run in with Rose while I was running."She replied, her voice tight with anger as she thought of the vampire. Elijah was in front of her in an instant, his brown eyes holding concern as he glanced along her form for any visible wounds. "What happened between you two?"He settled on asking, once he found no visible wounds and couldn't detect any fresh blood.

"She was mainly surprised by my everyone thinks I'm dead except Tyler. I guess no one bothered to actually find my body or lack thereof."Lailah said, her claws digging into the couch as she felt her anger increase at the lack of care her so called friends had shown her. As she struggled to keep from shifting, she felt Elijah's hands on her shoulder as he tried to calm her. Focusing on Elijah's touch, she began to calm down and felt her claws retract from the fabric of the couch.

"I'm sorry about the couch."She said with a watery laugh, feeling the anger she held turn to hurt at the realization that her old family friends hadn't even bothered to find whether she was dead or alive after being kidnapped.

"I think I'd be best you rest. I can see how much their betrayal has hurt you."Elijah replied, finding that the young wolf before him was hurt a lot more than she let on. He would be sure to bring this up to Elena when he next saw her and the Salvatore brothers. Lailah nodded before she headed upstairs to sleep off the painful realization. Slipping into bed, she closed her eyes to be met with what she hoped were good dreams.


End file.
